Partners with Benefits
by OnlyTheInevitable
Summary: Mulder and Scully try being friends with benefits. Will it work out, or will their feelings for each other complicate things? MSR
1. Friends with Benefits?

**Hello everyone! Welcome to my new story! This is the first time I've ever tried a multi-chapter fic with Mulder and Scully that followed a continuing narrative. I hope it goes good. I've been thinking about this idea for a while, but I wanted to delve into it a little deeper than I thought I could with my last series. Hope you enjoy!**

Over the years, he'd seen Scully exhibit a vast array of different emotions; pissed, sad, sleepy, frustrated, but embarrassment was rare. Yet here she was, in the middle of interviewing a couple, flustered beyond belief. The case they had been working on had ended up being a fruitless effort, simply just crop circles in the boonies of Virginia made by teenagers with too much time on their hands in a town too prone to paranoia. The only thing they needed to finish up this case was a final statement from the duo in charge, but it was turning out to be a little more information than he or Scully had anticipated.

"I'm sorry, I think I misheard. What did you say? Scully asked, voice laced in confusion. She had just asked them what their relationship was, and Mulder was hoping he hadn't heard them correctly.

The eighteen year old boy didn't even look phased as he shrugged, "Oh, we're friends with benefits."

Yep, he heard correctly. That was a term he hadn't heard in over a decade, mostly just from old acquaintances in college. A few of them would gloat to him about finally hitting a homerun with various girls in their friend group. From what he'd been told, it sounded like an interesting idea, but he never heard from any of them how any of it turned out. Scully, on the other hand, was still a little naive. "What are the benefits?" she asked innocently.

The couple turned to each other and sly grins broke out onto both their faces. They looked back at her and unanimously answered, "Sex."

He had to applaud Scully, her mask of professionalism was tough to crack and she was able to keep the shock from appearing on her face, though plenty of it was dancing in her eyes. "Excuse me?"

The girl leaned forward with a playful smirk, "It's really common. If you have a friend you enjoy hanging out with, and you both want to get a little release, you can just have sex with each other. Simple as that."

Her answer still didn't satisfy Scully. "Isn't that exactly what being in a relationship is?"

"No, not at all. I mean, aspects are shared, but ultimately we still have our independence. We don't have to report back to each other like couples do, no expectations, and it's safe being with someone you care about without all the jealousy and drama," the guy explained.

"Haven't you ever had a friend you just _wished_ you could fuck, but you didn't know if a relationship would be good for you two?" the girl added, her tone implying that the answer should be 'of course'.

Mulder had been watching Scully during the couple's explanations, and he couldn't help but notice the red hue her face was taking. He knew Scully wasn't a prude, but, this far in their relationship, they had never actually talked about sex unless it was a clinical analysis or a jovial innuendo. He'd spent plenty of time trying to _imagine_ what her experiences and fantasies were; how she liked it, what she looked like, what she got off to, how often she got off. However, no amount of hypothesizing would give him any conclusive answers. Watching the interest manifest on her face was the closest she had ever come to revealing anything to him.

As soon as the question left the girl's mouth, Scully's eyes flitted to look at him, but quickly averted away when they met his gaze, much to Mulder's intrigue _._ Her blush had started to spread to her neck and she brushed a few hairs behind her ear to make it look like she was unbothered. "No. I haven't. Thank you for your explanation. Now where were you on the night of-" She put a hard stop to the conversation and continued to move the interview along.

He didn't want to be hopeful she'd thought of him when the girl asked that question, but they'd been getting closer recently and lord knows she was the first person to pop into his mind when the conversation was even brought up. After six years of being in close quarters, going through highs and lows together, it was inevitable they'd become close. However, more recently there seemed to be an air of sexual tension. He couldn't lie, ever since she walked into the office all those years ago, he's had a thing for her, a small attraction that's blossomed into something entirely larger and scares the hell out of him.

Flirting is too strong of a word, and too bold of an action for him to follow through with, but he feels that he's definitely made it clear that he's attracted to her. Or, at least, he thinks he has. He's always thrown little innuendos her way, she's caught his glance lingering, he'd find any excuse to me close to her, she's the only one he trusts, she had to know. What makes him really think she's picked up on it is the fact she'd been retaliating more within the past few months. Gone was the days of eye rolls and amused scoffs, now he is met with sultry grins and the tantalizing cock of an eyebrow.

He figured she'd never want anything because it's against FBI protocol and she doesn't want them to be split up, or maybe she's hesitant for the same reasons he is. She's the most important relationship he's ever had, undoubtedly and without question. While he loves her more than anything in the world, she deserves the best, and he doesn't think the 'best' entails a man obsessed with his work who is too scared to ruin the one thing that's meant anything to him to even own up to his feelings. She could do so much better than him, but it's moments like that, where her gaze flits to him after the mention of something illicit that makes him question everything. Maybe she-

"Thank you, that's all we needed," Scully's voice sighs, breaking him out of his reviere. He looks around and notices Scully's finished the interview in record time while he's been having his internal monologue.

"Sure, sorry for the trouble," the girl apologized. They pushed in their chairs, stopping to turn around when they reached the door. "Hey," she called out to get Scully's attention.

Scully looked up with a questioning expression, waiting for the girl to speak. "Don't knock it till you try it," she quipped, smiling as her friend led her out of the door with his hand on the small of her back.

Mulder tried to gauge her reaction, but Scully was still trying to appear unfazed. Though he didn't miss the way her eyes shot to her paper before glancing at his knee and back again. He decided not to mention anything about it now, so he just helped her gather all their files and head out to the car to make the hour long trip back home. It wasn't until they started driving after stopping at a gas station, catching her glancing at him several more times, that he decided to broach the elephant in the room. "They made a pretty convincing argument," he started, tearing through the blanket of silence in the car.

"What? That it's only natural to damage an entire field if you're bored enough?" she scoffed. He didn't know if she purposefully misinterpreted his statement as a signal not to push it, or if she really thought he was talking about the crop circles.

He offered a light chuckle before diving in, "No, that was probably the worst excuse for destroying public property I've ever heard. I mean their friends with benefits explanation."

Silence never seems as loud as it does when you're putting yourself out on the line. He after a moment of silence, he didn't know whether he should ask if she was okay or if he should declare 'just kidding.' Before he had time to deliberate on his options, she responded, "What points stuck out for you?"

She was playing a power move, getting him to reveal himself without having to reveal anything to close to her heart. It was a defense mechanism, and it made him nervous as hell. "I mean, if you like your friend enough, and you felt safe and comfortable, it seems like it had more pros than cons."It was a safe answer, not too much given away, but enough to be an appropriate response.

"I don't know how someone wouldn't end up getting hurt. You'd have to trust that person a lot, I'd imagine, and what happens if someone does it and the other wants to drop out or they start seeing someone else? That'd have to be painful, and then could you return back to being platonic friends after seeing the other so vulnerable?" she mused.

She name dropped Trust. Trust acted as a palpable entity between them. Brought up to show the severity of their convictions, it was the impenetrable foundation of their relationship, it wasn't a word either of them treated lightly. If the word choice signalled that she was hypothetically talking about them, he could only assume that she was worried she'd find someone better suited later down the line and she was worried he wouldn't be able to let go.

It was something he's pondered, not in depth, but it crossed his mind every now and then. What would be worse? Spending his whole life wishing and wondering what it would be like to be with her, or experiencing it and living with the knowledge something so fantastic slipped out of his grasp, only to become a memory. There was no way to answer it. It was a 'grass is greener on the other side' situation. Right now, being with her, in any way, seemed better than anything in the world, but that could just be he's never experienced the pain of losing her in that way. No matter what, he would never resent her for finding someone that made her happy. Sure he'd be jealous, but he'd never want it to ruin their relationship.

"That's true, but I imagine that since it's a friend one would be close with, the other person would be happy and supportive of the other person. I imagine if they made the leap to have sex, tension had been there for a while, so they'd probably be accustomed to a little bit of yearning. There'd also be a component of respect along with the trust, so I don't think there would be any resentment," he explained.

He glanced over and saw that answer didn't seem to make her happy. "Yeah, sure, I guess you're right," she shrugged. She was agreeing, but she seemed almost melancholy. He thought she was going to add something, but she just turned and looked out the window, fiddling with the skin around her cuticles.

They were about ten minutes away from home when he decided to speak up again, like a dog chasing a bone. He just couldn't shake the image of her looking at him when the topic was brought up. "So, have you really never had a friend you've been curious about?"

"What?" she asked. She'd seemed lost in thought and he didn't know if she hadn't heard him or if she couldn't believe he was asking her more questions about the topic.

"Back there, when that girl was asking you if you'd ever thought about being with a friend, you said no. Is that true? In all your years on this planet, not even once?" He didn't know why he was pressing her like this. He knew, with every fibre of his being, that Scully wasn't going to say, 'Actually yes, you Mulder, all the time. Pull over now so I can show you,' so he didn't know what was fueling his incessant questioning.

"I-" she stuttered, looking like answering this question was akin to pulling teeth. "Have you?" she threw it back.

He could feel her eyes on him and turned to smirk at her before turning his attention back to the road. "Scully, in case you forgot, I am a warm blooded male. Of course I have." He was happy to hear that his answer amused her, a small chuckle escaping from her grinning lips as she shook her head playfully.

"What about you?" he prodded.

"Mulder," she mimicked, "In case you forgot, I am a warm blooded female. Of course I have."

He grinned at her parroting of him before he really pushed his luck. "Oh, I promise you I never forgot."

That familiar air of tension returned to the car, and he would have been mad at himself for saying it if it wasn't for the smile she was trying, and failing to hide. He thought that's how they would leave the topic, but Scully surprised him with asking a question of her own. "Well, you seemed to be informed about the topic. Does that mean you've had a friend with benefits? Or friends?"

He shook his head good naturedly, "No, no, just some guys I knew in college did and that's where I heard about it. I've never done it myself. It seems nerve wracking, I don't think I could ever be the one to ask." He decided to take the opportunity to throw the ball into her court. If it happens, it's up to her. He glanced back over at her and noticed she was chewing on her bottom lip, her nervous habit. "What about you? I know the term was knew to you, but have you ever done it?"

She immediately started shaking her head, as if amused by the thought alone. "No, no, no. I-I couldn't imagine someone actually wanting to." Her laugh was full of self deprecation and she waved her hand back and forth as if trying to swat away the ludacris idea that someone would want to have casual sex with her. Mulder's jaw practically dropped to the fucking floor.

He pulled onto her street as he gawked at her. "Scully, are you seriously telling me you don't realize over half the male population, hell, even a community of the female population, would faint on the spot to be propositioned like that from you?"

He pulled up in front of her apartment and put the car in park without turning it off. She rolled her eyes and chuckled, "I doubt that Mulder, but thank you."

She grabbed her bag and the files before getting out of the car and shutting the door. When she was around the other side, walking up to her building, he called out, "Hey, Scully." She turned around and looked at him and he was glad she was far enough away not to be able to see the way his hands were shaking. "Trust me, I know better than anyone."

He didn't need a response, he just wanted to really let her know how he felt, knowing full well when he returned to the office tomorrow, they'd pretend like it never happened. Just like they did with the kiss in the hallway all those months ago. He drove away, but not before he saw her face change into subtle surprise as his meaning dawned on her.

When he got back to his apartment, he was beyond ready to throw himself on the couch and just relax. Between resolving a waste-of-time case and the emotional rollercoaster he had with Scully, he was drained. He changed into a T-shirt and sweatpants and turned on a rerun on the Sci Fi channel. In all honesty, he was glad he overshared with Scully together. Even though it put him in a vulnerable, unreciprocated spot, he at least got to experience how much their relationship had progressed over time. If he had mentioned anything like that to Scully in the first couple of years of their partnership, he had no doubt she would have probably irritated and dismissed him immediately, possibly even reminding him about the rules against partnership fraternization and sexual harassment. Today they had a conversation about it and she even looked flattered, even a bit curious.

No matter what, at the end of the day, he was just happy he got to spend time with her and that she was still his partner. As long as she was safe and happy, that's all he really needed. He couldn't help but be a little curious about what she wanted though. He imagined she'd considered marriage, but she didn't really seem like the type to daydream about weddings or anything like that. When it came to Scully's romantic goals or dreams, he still knew nothing. He considered for a moment that when she brought up the possibility of one of the friends getting hurt, that she may have been talking about herself, that she was worried he'd find someone and leave her alone, but he shook the idea away as soon as it had come. Maybe she'd been hurt in the past and she was worried, but there's no way she could truly think he could have eyes for anyone other than her. It just seemed unimaginable.

A knock at the door pulled him away from his thoughts. He glanced at the clock and saw it was nearing eleven. He pulled himself up and wandered to his door, peering through the peephole and opening the door when he saw a tuft of red hair. Sure enough, when he opened the door he was met with Scully, glancing around nervously, her bottom lip looking a bit swollen from, what he assumed was from, her playing with it. "Hey, what's-" he was cut off by her own question.

"Were you serious earlier?" she asked.

He had an inkling of what she meant, but he didn't want to answer and be wrong. He opened the door wider and beckoned for her to come in. "About what?"

She took a few steps in, having a hard time looking at him, and he wanted to know why she was so nervous. "That you find me attractive?"

He was glad to know she was able to pick up on his subliminal message, but she was making him anxious. Had he pushed her too far? Was she upset he wasn't hiding it as much anymore. She was standing in front of him, waiting for a response, and, even if she was going to tell him to knock it off, right now he couldn't backtrack and say he didn't. He couldn't lie. "Yes, I was being serious-" He was about to apologize, btu she cut him off. He was only now starting to formulate thoughts and answers in a conversation she had been anticipating, most likely, since he left her at her apartment.

"I would like to try. That is, if you'd like to as well," she rushed, only now really looking at him. What he was behind her eyes was intense determination masking fear. He'd been distracted by her gaze that he was a little slow on interpreting her words, when he did he felt like he was going to pass out. Clearly he'd heard her wrong.

"Try what?" he murmured in almost a whisper, not wanting the sound of his voice to interrupt the dream he must have been in the middle of.

It wasn't a dream. If it was, he knew the shock from her next sentence would have jolted him awake. "I want to try being friends with benefits."

 **Woo! I'm excited to see where this leads. I hope you guys like it! I love hearing how people felt, so all feedback is beyond welcome! Thanks for clicking on my story, and have a lovely day! -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	2. First Time

**Author's Note: Wow! I can't believe how much positivity this story has gotten right off the bat. I'm so appreciative, thank you, thank you.**

Scully just stood there in total shock, jaw agape and eyes wide, as she watched Mulder's car speed away. Did he seriously just imply what she thinks he implied? This whole day had just gone from strange to unexpected. Sure, they bantered back and forth, but today they wandered into forbidden territory. It was just an unspoken rule that their attraction to one another wasn't _really_ spoken of, even if it was just hypothetical speculation. She didn't know if she was scared or excited. Probably a mixture of both. She remained frozen at the side of the road until the car rounded the corner out of sight before walking up the stairs to her apartment in a baffled daze.

He, in so many words, just admitted that he wanted to have sex with her. Fox William Mulder, her partner of six years and the man she trusted above anyone else. While the thought sparked a reaction in more parts of her body than she was willing to admit, the concept was still so far fetched she had a hard time even believing it was real, it just seemed too good to be true. If he could just be a little clearer with his feelings, it would make her life a lot easier. Instead, he hid everything behind a guise of innuendo and joking flirtation. On some days she loved it, on some days it was aggravating. How was she supposed to tell if he felt the same way about her as she did him when she couldn't tell if he was joking or not?

She couldn't pinpoint when it happened, but she loved Mulder, not in just a platonic, partnerly way, but in a keeps you up at night, butterflies in stomach kind of way. It sounded so embarassingly juvenile, and she tried her hardest to suppress it, but suppression didn't make the feelings disappear. That's why the conversation today had been so intimidating, she didn't know if this would be a perfect solution, or a teasing reminder that what she wanted more than anything was out of her grasp.

That's why she'd brought up the aspect of someone getting hurt. If they did make this arrangement, and then later down the line he meets someone and wants to be with them, or he gets bored, or, heaven forbid, they do it once and he doesn't like it. All of the possibilities scared the life out of her. His response hadn't reassured her very much, it just sounded like she'd get over it and have to damper down the feelings. Easier said than done.

However, she was positive he at least wanted to try and, _god,_ it sounded good. Since it wasn't a relationship, there was less of a risk that it would negatively hurt their friendship. They meant too much to one another, that Scully was positive if it did go bad they might just have an awkward patch that would heal overtime. On the other hand, if it went good she could finally enjoy what she'd spent years fantasizing about.

She'd been stewing at her kitchen counter for the past twenty minutes, a mug of tea sitting untouched in front of her. The last time any real, personal development in their relationship happened, it was never spoken of again. The only time it was even slightly referred to was when they scoffed at a passing bee, sending each other a knowing look and nothing more. If she was being honest with herself, being able to relieve her sexual frustration would be a heaven sent. It'd been what? Five, six years? She could barely remember what it felt like to get off on a hand other than her own.

" _Trust me, I know better than anyone."_ Damn him. She knew it was hypocritical for her to be mad, she made him spill his guts first so she knew how much was safe to reveal, but why did he throw the big decision to her? There was only a small amount of time before the window of opportunity closed and the offer became a memory. She knew what her options were; tell him soon or not at all. Since the thought alone made her stomach twist in knots, she knew she had to get it over with.

She was going to proposition Mulder for a sexual relationship.

God, her palms were sweating and her heart was pounding and he wasn't even here. Scully decided thinking about it more would just make it worse, so she grabbed her keys and ran out to her car. As she drove, she formulated her plan. Ask him for clarification, that would tell her if he wanted to drop it or if the offer still stood. If he wanted to drop it, she'd tell him not to tease her anymore because it was unprofessional, hiding her hurt behind the mask of professionalism she wore too well. If he was still interested, well, then, she'd just ask him. Another knot in her stomach twisted, but accompanied by another sensation a little lower.

If he said yes, this changes everything. Years of fantasy would become reality. All her questions and speculations would finally be answered. Was he an attentive lover? What did he like? How could she make him squirm? What would his breath feel like on her inner thighs? How would his voice sound when he cried out her name? She let out a shaky breath, and decided to spend the rest of the drive trying to calm down. It wouldn't be effective to show up wearing her heart on her sleeve. Not right now.

Well, calming down didn't work. She was standing outside his door and she felt like everyone in the building could hear the sound of her heart beating. She wished her mind could be as bold as her body, because without her conscious doing, she saw her fist raise and knock at the door. _Fuck._ She just shifted her weight from foot to foot, glancing around nervously. She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth and noticed it was a little tender from hours of subconsciously chewing on it.

She wanted to jump when the door swished open and she was met with a concerned Mulder, wearing nothing but a T-Shirt and a pair of sweatpants. "Hey, what's-"

"Were you serious earlier?" she interrupted. _Smooth._ She wanted to cringe at how her voice sounded, but her nerves were dwindling away, her defenses taking over as she hid behind the persona of 'Professional Special Agent Scully, Medical Doctor.'

He cocked his head to the side, obviously knowing what she meant but clearly surprised she was here, hours later, asking about it. "About what?" he feigned, opening the door for her.

She walked in with a confident stride that she was surprised she could even muster, but her eyes remained glued to the floor. She heard the sound of the door click, followed by the silence of him collecting his thoughts. It was brief, but in that moment her heart sank and she realized the reality of the possibility that he might turn her down. She knew it would hurt, but she didn't realize just how much it would until this very moment. Luckily, she was put out of her misery with his next few words, "Yes, I was being serious-."

She knew it was rude to keep cutting him off, but she didn't need him giving her constant ways out. She wanted to get this out in the open and let him know how she felt before she lost her nerve. "I would like to try. That is, if you'd like to as well." Her words came out rushed, but she was finally looking at him. He looked absolutely shocked.

She barely heard it, but he quietly asked for clarification, "Try what?" He was scared. Scared that he was misunderstanding and she wasn't serious, or maybe that she'd take it back.

With every ounce of conviction she could muster, she stated, "I would like to try being friends with benefits." She was afraid she may have broken him. He just stood, immobile, staring at her. She felt a little uncomfortable under his surprised gaze, but she wasn't going to back down. She'd already come this far.

"You, you mean-?" He didn't finish the question, but he didn't need to. She understood he just really wanted her to lay it out for him.

"Yes. I mean, it does sound like a good arrangement. You claim that you find me attractive, I know I find you attractive. We trust each other, and I think this would be a good outlet for stress relief." _And I've wanted you for longer than I care to admit,_ she added in her mind.

A grin came to his lips and he asked, almost incredulously, "You find me attractive?"

She felt a blush rise to her cheeks, but she was just going to ignore it. "Yes. Yes, I do." She'd never seen Mulder look shy before, but it was incredibly endearing.

He moved to the kitchen without a word and she followed behind him, knowing he was about to pour them a cup of coffee so they could continue to clarify the implications of this. She knew that he knew she liked to be rational, even about the irrational. He handed her a cup and she sat on the other side of the kitchen table, opposite of him. He was regarding her like she'd grown a second head, a second head he was both excited and trepidatious to see. "You're being serious? You're not just teasing me?"

"This would be a very elaborate and embarrassing practical joke, don't you think?" she replied, taking a sip from her mug.

He nodded in acceptance and, with a smile that'd be much larger if he wasn't trying to hold it back, said words that were music to her ears. "I would love to. Yes, I agree."

She let out a breath she'd been holding since she got there, the sound of Mulder's laughter hitting her ears immediately after. She looked up at him and saw amusement swimming in his eyes. "Do you know how nerve wracking that was?" she asked, feeling the tension start to dissipate as the nervous anxiety settled down. The last hour felt like a whirlwind of stress and she was relieved to have an answer.

"Yes, actually, I have an idea being I spilled my guts out to you for an hour long car ride," he chuckled. "But, I can't even express how grateful I am you actually went through with it."

She smiled at his praise and felt a sense of pride wash over her. She took another sip of her coffee, setting the mug down and seeing Mulder's gaze taking on a less-than-innocent quality. It turned her on to no end knowing that they'd be able to act on that soon. However, they had to have a discussion before they could go any further. "Before we, um, _do_ anything," she didn't miss the way he leaned forward in his seat at the implication, "I think we should set some ground rules."

He nodded in response. "I expected you might say that. What are your rules?" His voice implied a rule could be to do twenty acrobatic flips and juggle for twenty minutes before he could touch her and he would've agreed readily.

"No flirting at work or in the field. It's one thing to have people suspect we're having sex when we aren't versus when we are."

"Could I get some clarification on what entails flirting?" he asked.

"Um, nothing that would make people wonder." She didn't actually care about other people, she just didn't need the sexual tension at work when she'd have the knowledge of what he was like as a lover. She already fantasized on the clock enough without that.

He nodded and agreed, motioning for her to continue. "I know we've spent the night at each other's places before, and that's still fine, but I don't think we should share the same bed." That was just too intimate. It was already going to be hard to keep her emotions in check, she didn't need anything romantic like cuddling to add into the mix. They'd never actually shared a bed before, but she figured it may be easy to do in the future.

"That's doable." He was being extremely understanding, and she appreciated that.

"Um,-" she started. This was the part that made her anxious. "I want you to tell me what you're most comfortable with, but, to be honest, a condom isn't really necessary. Half of its intended purpose doesn't matter for me and, for the other half, I'm your doctor so I know you're clean. I'm clean too. I could get tested and show you my results if it makes you more comfortable, but if you'd rather we used them that's fine."

He looked a little sad at the mentioning of her infertility, but he didn't say anything about it. "I trust that you're clean, Scully, but what do you prefer? I want that to be your choice, I'll go with whatever."

She felt her face flush, but this was going to come up sooner or later, "Well, they're expensive, and since we're on the same page for all the semantics of it, I'd rather not. It feels slightly better without, I'll be able to feel you more, and the friction will be better for us both."

That was the first time she'd really spoken in the future tense, it _was_ going to happen, he _was_ going to be inside of her, and the reassurance clearly flicked a switch for Mulder. He shifted in his his seat a bit and swallowed hard, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. "Once again, I agree."

This was the most complacent Mulder had been in all their years of partnership. She noticed he was unwaveringly staring at her, waiting for her to continue. She thought for a moment, but she truly didn't have anything else. "Um, I think that's all I got. Um, do you have anything to add?"

Without missing a beat, he answered, "Just one, I want you to tell me if I ever make you uncomfortable, or if I'm hurting you in any way. I want you to feel comfortable telling me what you're thinking and how you're feeling" She was a little taken aback at the level of intensity his answer was at, but it was such a Mulder thing to say.

She smiled at him appreciatively, "I promise."

He smiled back at her and scooted around the side of the table so he was a little closer to her. "So, we have some rules, but what about covering more preferences?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, cocking her head to the side a bit, not picking up on the root of Mulder's enthusiasm.

He smiled, like a kid opening up a present on Christmas and getting something he always wanted, "What are your sexual preferences?" _Oh._

Her face must not have hidden anything, because he laughed at her surprise once more. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tried to think. Yet again, this stuff would come up eventually. She'd been curious about Mulder's too, so this was good to talk about before they started. She wanted to rock his world after all. However, this still seemed odd to actually talk about, but she remembered something she needs that her last boyfriend wasn't into and decided to start there, "You'll reciprocate on oral, right?"

He let out a small breath and a grin of eager anticipation tugged on his lips, "Oh, absolutely. I'm all about giving." His words made her squirm in her seat, a motion clearly noticed by Mulder based on the way his eyes continued to devour her. The mere thought of being with him was exciting, but the tangibility of it was overwhelming her.

"What else are you all about? What are _your_ preferences?" she asked, leaning a little closer to him in her seat.

"I love kissing." When the words left his mouth, his gaze focused on her lips, then her neck, then the cleavage being revealed by the buttons she didn't remember undoing. "I love feeling tongues sliding together, I love kissing soft skin, I like kissing and getting a response." She'd always appreciated Mulder's way with words, but exponentially so in this moment. She felt a flush reach her cheeks, a flush purely based in arousal.

She decided to take in an appreciative glance herself, and she was more than proud to see he was already aroused, an impressive bulge tenting the front of his pants. It was probably a combination of his obvious want and her own desire that made her bold. "I like enjoying multiple orgasms in one session."

He gave a hum of appreciation that was just a poorly disguised moan behind closed lips and she was so encaptured by him in this moment that she practically felt the hum resonate in her body. "What a coincidence, I happen to enjoy giving multiple orgasms."

She tried to clear her throat but it just made her voice sound husky, "It seems we're quite compatible."

He shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "What can I say? I like a woman that knows what she needs."

For the second time tonight, she pushed them over the edge. Lowering her voice and adding several layers of seduction, she murmured, "Well, I like a man that takes what he needs."

That was all Mulder needed to hear before he reached over and grabbed her. They'd eventually ended up sitting knee to knee, and it only took one quick movement to pull her onto his lap, straddling him as he pressed his mouth against hers.

God, did she ever need this.

Mulder's passion for kissing was evident in the way his mouth worked against hers, parting his lips almost immediately to suck on her bottom lip, teasing it with the tip of his tongue until she opened her mouth slightly. He was soft, smooth, and wet, and she could feel every ounce of his energy behind this kiss; his dedication, his fervour, his lust. It made it all the more real. She was _actually_ kissing Mulder right now.

Her jaw opened and closed against his as they played with exploring each other for the first time. She threw her arms around his neck for balance as she swayed in his lap from the vigor of their movements, his hands grabbing her hips to keep her on him, the friction enjoyable for them both. She felt like a horny teenager right now, they had plenty of time, but here they were kissing like it was the last thing they'd ever do. His nose was pressed against her cheek and she could feel his breath come out in ragged puffs.

She had been so busy with the kiss, she hadn't noticed when one of his hands left her hip to start unbuttoning her blouse, that is, she hadn't noticed until he yanked the fabric out of the hem of her skirt to continue unbuttoning it. The cool air of his apartment felt shocking against her skin, and she knew her hair was standing on end as her skin craved his touch. When he parted the shirt, one hand went underneath the fabric to encircle her back as the other hand skimmed up her inner thigh tauntingly, dancing under the fabric of her skirt. She lifted herself up a little and he pushed the skirt so it was above her ass, allowing her to sit more fully on him without constraint. He continued his exploration upwards, and when his first knuckle brushed against the fabric of her damp panties she gasped into his mouth.

She opened her eyes and were met with one of the most beautiful sights she'd ever seen; Mulder looking thoroughly kissed with swollen lips, panting hard from making out with her, and his eyes almost black with lust. "Is this okay?" he asked, his breath warming the we skin by her lips. She nodded, not trusting she'd even be able to speak in this moment.

He didn't move her, not yet, instead he hooked one finger under the crotch of her underwear and pulled it aside, the saturation of his finger revealing how much she wanted him. His eyes were hyperfocused on her as he ran the pad of his thumb up and down her slit, not quite parting her, but enjoying being able to touch her. It was a cruel torture, and she decided to distract herself so she didn't thrust herself into his hand in desperation. She pushed her shoulders back and let her blouse fall to the floor, leaving her white lace bra revealed.

That got his attention. "Were you wearing that all day, or did you change into it before you got here?" His voice was strained, like either answer would thoroughly satisfy him.

"This was on me all day, under my clothes every time you saw me," she teased. She reached behind her and unclasped the garment, letting it fall forward before she tossed it to the ground. "Until now."

Mulder's eyes almost rolled into the back of his head at the sight and he quickly latched an arm around her bare back and pressed her closer to him, so that he could latch his mouth onto one of her pert, pebbled nipples. As he did this, the hand at her apex slid between her folds and his thumb grazed her clit at the same time his tongue flicked across her nipple. She bucked into him and her head flew back accompanied by a hearty moan. The dual sensation was overwhelming and she was swimming in a haze of pleasure.

One of her hands flew up to his head and entangled itself in his dark tresses, keeping him close to her. The other grabbed his shoulder, her nails probably digging into his skin, but she was too enraptured to even consider releasing him. His thumb swirled around her clit and two of his fingers played at her entrance before sliding in, earning another satisfied, very loud moan. With this, she felt him smile against the skin of her breath.

His fingers curled up against her sensitive rough patch of skin as they began pumping in and out of her. His mouth switched to her other nipple, but not before placing sloppy wet kisses all over the sweaty skin of her breasts as she rocked back and forth against him. This felt indescribable, and she was pleased to find out her fantasies didn't hold a candle to reality.

He spent some time lavishing her chest and neck with attention as she started writing in his lap, overstimulated with pleasure. She pulled her hand from out of the neck collar of his shirt and grabbed the hem, ripping it upwards and revealing his well-toned abdomen, his muscles flexing from his ministrations and his small thrusts against her. He took her hint and, without removing his hand from its job between her legs, discarded his shirt. She collapsed against him, her breasts pressed flush to his chest and her face buried into the crook of her neck as she clung to him. Her breaths were coming out in ragged gasps against the skin of his neck. She could practically feel his heartbeat in his neck against the skin of her face.

He used his free hand to roam her back, exploring the expanse of newly-revealed skin. He was moving even faster with his movements in and out of her while teasing her sensitive bundle of nerves and she was practically whimpering in want. "Does this feel good?" he asked, she could feel the reverberation of his voice in her head.

She pivoted her face so that she could place a big suctioney kiss to his jugular before feeling the telltale tightening low in her abdomen. Releasing her lips, she clung tighter and cried, "Yes, please don't stop, please don't stop, please don't stop," into his wet skin.

Her pleas must've really egged him on because his ministrations became even more powerful, gaining both speed and rigor. One arm shot behind her body and she grabbed onto his knee as she threw her torso back, giving him better access. She started gyrating her hips against his hand and it was enough to unravel the burning knot in her groin. Her legs clenched around him from her position straddling him, her brow furrowed, and her jaw dropped open in pure ecstasy as she was overtaken by her orgasm. She was busy crying out, but during a gasp, she heard him drag out the word "fuck," and she opened her eyes to see him watching her slack jawed, a look of pure rapture on his face as he watched her body convulse against his.

She spasmed a few more times and eventually had to reach down in between her legs to grab his hand, stopping his unrelenting action against her oversensitive clit. She gazed down at him with a seductive grin and placed a kiss to his lips as she eased her shaky legs off him so that she was standing in between his spread thighs. Looking down, she could see exactly where her crotch had been based on the wet spot she'd left on his sweatpants. She smiled, too aroused and sated to be embarrassed and sank to her knees so she could give attention to the bludge a few inches away from the wet spot.

She snuck her fingers under his waistband and began to pull down when his hands grabbed both her wrists. She looked up at him curiously and was met with a slightly shy smirk. "As much as I want to let you continue, I want this to last a bit longer, and, after the show I just got a front seat to, I wouldn't be able to last a second anywhere near your mouth."

She turned her head away and chuckled at the reminder at the display she'd just given him on his lap. Before she could give it much thought, he swooped down and picked her up, laying her back down on the kitchen table. She watched as he drug her so that her ass was at the edge of the table, but she was surprised to see him sink to his knees, placing her legs on either side of his head.

She was about to tell him he didn't need to go down on her right now, she was probably still recovering from her last orgasm, but as soon as his mouth touched her all coherent thought left her mind. _Fuck, he's talented._ He lapped his tongue against her and his nose would occasionally bump sensuously against her clit, making her back arch against the table.

She was actually a lot closer than she'd thought she was. He'd caught her at the perfect time coming down. She started trying to grind her crotch against his face, but he shot a hand out and placed it on her abdomen, anchoring her down on the table. He was clearly enjoying having his face in between her legs, but she supposed he didn't want to suffocate there. Understandable, but she felt like she may die herself at this moment. The pleasure was all consuming. He lifted his lips to her clit and suctioned them around the knub, flicking his tongue back and forth vigorously. That's all she needed. She screamed his name and pounded her fist against the table, desperate for something to clutch onto. He continued applying suction and she actually started quivering, her legs shaking embarrassingly against his head.

He eased her legs from his shoulders gently, holding them by his sides as he gazed down at her. His chuckle was laced with admiration as he teased, "You okay there, Scully?"

A goofy smile tugged her lips upwards and she rasped, "Oh, more than okay." She eased herself up on her elbows and arched an eyebrow when she noticed his state of undress. "When did your pants come off?"

She noticed as he answered, his entire lower face was glistening wet with her arousal. "I'm not going to lie, I was _really_ enjoying myself."

His words made her realize she'd already cum twice as he waited patiently and she used every ounce of regained strength she had in her legs to wrap them around his hip bones, pulling him closer to her, his erection grazing her inner thigh. "Sharing is caring, Mulder," she chastised.

"Oh is it?" he retorted, grabbing himself so he could tease her swollen lips. She was about to say something witty when he started easing himself inside of her, grasping onto her legs like a lifeline to sanity as he felt her encompass him. "Is this hurting you at all?" he choked, clearly using all his strength to hold back.

He'd more than prepared her with the orgasms, so she was lubricated and ready to go. "Mulder you feel fantastic, please, m-more," she stuttered. It was true. He was stretching her walls in the most fantastic way possible. He followed her instructions and went deeper inch by inch until he was buried completely inside her. By the time he was there, her eyes were rolling into the back of her head and they were covered in a sheen of anticipatory sweat. "You're so tight. You feel incredible," he groaned.

She let out an amused breath before jokingly demanding, "Move."

He smiled down at her and quipped, "Wow, so demanding." Before she could respond, he started thrusting in and out, and all that could come out of her mouth were cries of pleasure. She knew Mulder had wanted to last longer, probably wanted to make a point that she'd made the right choice by requesting this, but she understood that'd it had been a long time and she was more than satisfied.

He leaned down so that he was hovering over her on the table as he slammed into while she rocked against the table to aid in the impact. He nuzzled his lips against her temple and placed a series of kisses there and down to her jawbone before suckling on her neck. The angle her was at made his pubic bone slam onto her clit and it felt amazing.

She felt like she had a Mulder blanket draped over her and she couldn't remember every cell in her body being so alive before. She raised her legs so that her thighs wrapped around his sides and her calves crossed behind the middle of his back, sending him impossibly deeper. He growled against her neck in primal lust and snuck an arm underneath her head so that she was resting on his forearm, she was confused until his thrusts became even more erratic and fast. He didn't want her head banging against the table, how considerate.

He started rotating his hips luxuriously against her and it made his cock rub her inside in the best way possible. She gasped and cried "Right there, right there." His gaze was focused on her face as he did what she requested, his eyes captivated as she reacted to the overload of pleasure he was sending through her body. One hand reached up and held the hand attached to the arm supporting her head up, interlacing their fingers. The other clawed at his shoulder once again. After a few more thrusts, she had her third earth shattering orgasm of the night, arching her back violently against his torso.

His grip on her hand tightened, and after a final hard thrust deep inside her, she felt him cumming and she watched as his face contorted into pure pleasure. God, he was beautiful. They both rocked gently as the rode out their shared orgasms together. Eventually, they stilled, panting heavy and hard as their sweaty bodies remained intertwined. Mulder used his free hand to wipe her sweaty bangs away from her face, using his thumb to trace circles into the skin of her cheek. She sent him a sated smile and he returned it immediately as the joy and newness of the situation started to dawn on them.

They finally had sex, it was mind blowingly good, and they could do it whenever they wanted.

This was looking to be their best idea yet.

 **Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know how you felt and if there's anything you'd like to see in the comments! Thank you so much for your time, I appreciate it greatly! -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	3. The Day After

**Author's Notes: Hello everyone! Random note, I posted an angsty one shot on my account if you're interested in it. Thank you, once again, to everyone who's taken time out of their day to leave a comment or a kudos or a favorite. It really means the world to me. Anyways, onto the next chapter!**

Mulder couldn't remember the last time he'd woken up so thoroughly and utterly rested. His body was relaxed, he got a full night of sleep, and he had an overall optimistic outlook on the day, all things that were rare in his world. He had no doubts that it was a direct result of Scully making all of his dreams come true last night.

When he woke up, he almost assumed he'd just experienced the most vivid wet dream of his life, but his dining room still smelled of sex and he could clearly see the scratches she'd made in the wood of the table with her fingernails. The marks that matched his back perfectly, much to his enjoyment. He swore he wore the world's most embarrassing smile for the rest of the morning. It was just surreal. He had just experienced, wild, uninhibited, passionate sex with Dana Katherine Scully. He'd touched her, tasted her, thoroughly buried himself inside of her, and, most importantly, he'd made her cum and cry out his name. _Three times._

Though, even with how mind-blowing last night was, he couldn't help but still feel nervous about their new developments. He was more than ecstatic about this addition to their relationship, but he was beyond worried he's mess it up somehow. He'd never done this before, and he didn't know how it fully worked. He was already thinking about what he wanted to do to her next time they were together, but he had no idea how they would even go about instigating this? Did he just ask? How often would she want this? He had more questions than answers, but there was no use in getting too caught up in the 'what ifs'. For once, he was content.

He was especially thrilled that there wasn't anything truly awkward about last night. Sure, when she initially came over they were both a little timid, scared of misunderstandings or rejections, but after they got on the same page, it was just goddamned hot. He still couldn't believe she came over and just blurted it out. Well, actually he could, she'd always been the strong one.

They were as compatible sexually as he'd always dreamed they'd be. A partnership built on trust that leaked into all facets of their relationship. He just wished he could have lasted a little longer, but it had been a while after all, just as it had been for her. Scully enjoyed herself regardless, that much he knew to be true.

 _He'd been leaning over her, completely and utterly spent as they came down from their earth shattering orgasms. His first, her third. He had just started rubbing the soft peachy skin of her cheek when a smile threatened to break her face. "Care to share with the class, Ms. Scully?" he teased. He honestly wanted to kiss her as she lay panting below him, but he didn't know if that was allowed. Kissing during foreplay and during sex was completely different from kissing after it was over._

 _Her answer was accompanied by a light chuckle, "That was just-." Her eyes left him as she searched for a word and he felt that involuntary pang of nerves set in. His natural self-conscious tendencies were making him think the worst, that she was trying to find words to placate him, even after she'd just been convulsing around him in pleasure. Luckily, he couldn't worry long as the adjectives came to her, "mind-blowingly fantastic, completely satisfying, a hundred percent worth my anxiety coming over."_

 _Mulder eased up gently, sliding out of her with an audible wetness. He bent down to the floor and picked up his shirt to gently wipe the sweat off her brow before handing it to her, "Here, in case you want to clean up a little bit." She gave him a glance for reassurance, and, once getting it, started wiping the sex off her skin and cleaning up the leaking happening in between her thighs. He didn't know whether he was allowed to watch her, so he instead focused on putting on his sweats. "Why were you nervous coming over? I, in so many words, told you how much I wanted this."_

 _He didn't miss the shy look that passed her face at his question. She shrugged and eased herself onto the floor, looking around for her underwear. When she found them, she eased them up her thighs and resumed the conversation. "I didn't know if you were kidding." At his look she added, "Hey, you thought I may have been pulling an elaborate prank on you, so I don't want to hear how ridiculous I was being."_

 _She got him there, but the fact she still didn't fully grasp that he was head over heels for her still baffled him. "Thank you for having the guts to bring this up," he didn't know how to phrase the next part so he just went with, "I can't even tell you how great that was." He wished he was a little more eloquent in the moment, but all coherence was still trying its hardest to come back to his body._

 _Scully was buttoning her shirt back up after tucking it in her skirt. She rolled her eyes and let out another self-deprecatory laugh. "No, no, I'm the one who needs to thank you. Three? I'm impressed, and more than satisfied. I do feel bad that I didn't really do anything."_

 _He couldn't help but really enjoy the sight before him. She was flush and sweaty, looking thoroughly fucked, but yet she was still wearing her normal Agent Scully business attire. It was a juxtaposition he loved seeing. Which is why he was a little slow to react to her words, but once he did, he was immediately shocked once again. "You don't think you did anything? Scully. That was probably the hottest sex of my life, albeit not the longest."_

 _She cocked an eyebrow at him as she untucked her hair out of her shirt, going back to get the strands that were stuck to her neck from sweat. "Hm, well just wait for when I'm actively participating instead of just laying there in ecstasy. You've only seen a small preview of what I can do." Her sentence was punctuated by a suggestive wink before she walked past his grinning form to slip into her shoes. God, this woman was going to kill him._

 _He walked her to the door, resisting the urge to kiss her once more, and they exchanged their normal pleasantries, as if they weren't just bumping uglies where they'd eaten many meals just five minutes ago. Then he watched her get into the car from his window and went to bed, getting the soundest sleep of his life._

Now, he wasn't sure what to do. He was on his way to work, but he didn't know what the friends with benefits protocol was for your best friend and partner. Was it a dirty secret they were never to mention until they were having sex again? He wasn't sure, but he she explicitly stated not to flirt at work, if he had to guess, referencing last night's mind blowing sex was probably flirting.

He walked into the office and was greeted with a peppier-than-usual version of Scully. She looked like she was in a great mood for a Wednesday morning, hell she was even as early as he was today. "Good morning," she beamed when she noticed his entrance. As she turned to greet him he noticed she was wearing an especially form fitting pantsuit, or maybe he was imaging it. No. No, he wasn't. He had all of Scully's clothes memorized and this one was definitely especially flattering.

He was about to compliment her when he remembered the no flirting rule once more, not wanting to accidentally push anything, he just responded with, "Morning, Scully. You're earlier than usual."

"I slept really well last night, I feel refreshed. Are you always this early?" she asked, rearranging the files in front of her.

"Actually, no. I too just happened to get a really good night of sleep," he answered, noticing the slight smile she bit back.

Aside from that brief mentioning, the day went just as normal as it normally did, which meant they had an hour long conversation about the plausibility of vampirism across cultures, but it was normal for them. He was only caught gazing once caught, but he just received a playful but warning, "Mulder, I can feel you staring at me." He was able to keep it a little more discreet after that.

When all the case reports written, innuendos swallowed, and meetings with Skinner finished, they decided to call it a day, making the trip to the parking garage like they always did, except this time he wanted more than ever to invite her over. He didn't want to seem pushy, or like sex was now the only thing he cared about, it was just hard knowing how possible it was. Hard in all contexts. Instead, he just waved to her as they got in their respective cars and he drove away.

Mulder was honestly beyond grateful for how things were turning out. It could have been beyond uncomfortable. This new arrangement could have created an awkward tension that built a wall in their relationship, but no, they were too strong for that. Their relationship was still as amiable as ever, and, his late night fantasties could have more accuracy to them now that he knew what the real deal entailed. He had just pulled out of the parking garage, smile for the evening of self-relaxation ahead of him on his face, when his phone rang in his pocket. He took one hand of the wheel as he fished around for the source of noise, catching it on the fourth ring. "Mulder."

Speak of the devil. "Hey Mulder, it's me. I'm sorry, I know you just left, but can you come back and get me?" She sounded frustrated, a stark difference from how he had just seen her.

He started doing a u-turn at her request, not needing anymore explanation though he asked for it anyway. "Yeah, what's wrong?" She took a second to answer and he heard muffled talking in the background. "Scully?"

"Sorry, um, my tire is flat and-" Her next sentence was quieter and he assumed it wasn't meant for him, "Yes. I know a flat tire when I see one." He was so glad she never sounded that irritated with him. She returned to him, "-and I was wondering if you had a spare by chance?"

He was driving up the ramps, trying to scan for where she was, already having forgotten where he'd left from just a moment ago. "I'm afraid not, but I can give you a lift."

"Thanks Mulder. Oh, I'm to your right, over-yeah, yeah, see me?" He turned and saw Scully waving at him to get his attention. He also saw one of the maintenance men standing next to her, who must've been the one she was agitated with a minute ago.

He hung up the phone as he pulled up. Scully opened the door and tossed her purse on the floor of the passenger seat. "Thanks again, I just need to lock my car." He didn't hear what the man said to Scully, he just saw her shake her head as she locked her car doors, shutting her trunk before sliding into his car without a second glance.

Mulder started driving before asking, "Is everything okay?" He didn't want to seem territorial, but the guy obviously did something to piss her off and he was nothing if not concerned for her well being.

She rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Yeah, I just got a flat and when I was checking to see if I had a spare he came up and rambled off a ton of useless advice. Because _obviously_ I must need help if there's an issue with my car."

"Poor fool," Mulder laughed in response at the guys naivete. He was probably trying to be macho, but if there was one thing Scully despised; it was being underestimated by men because of her gender.

"I know what a flat tire is," she reassured good-naturedly. "I would have changed it myself if I had one. I'll just have to call triple a or something tomorrow."

"Do you want me to drop you off at your apartment or were you needing to run any errands?" he offered.

"My apartment would be nice, thanks." As she said this her stomach growled loudly, reverberating in the close quarters of the car, causing them both to laugh in surprise.

He thought that alone gave him the perfect opportunity to see if he could spend more time with her, "I was actually going to go grab something to eat. Want to come with me?" He hid his excitement as she readily agreed.

He just took them to the diner a few blocks away from the Hoover Building that they went to frequently when they were too busy to pack a lunch. It was close, but they never ran into anyone they knew. They sat across from each other and ordered their normal before they were left alone once more.

"Sorry about your car," he apologized, putting an egregious amount of sugar in his coffee as Scully drank hers straight.

She shrugged and set the mug down on the table, "Can't do much about it now. Sorry if I ruined any plans you had for tonight."

He quirked an eyebrow up in amusement, "In all the years you've known me, do I ever have evening plans?" His comment made her laugh and he was mesmerized by the tinkling sound he so rarely got to hear.

"Fair point," she conceded, taking a bite of her BLT as he ate his burger. They sat in companionable silence for a while, simply enjoying the food and each other's company. They chit chatted a bit in between bites, and Mulder couldn't help but notice Scully seemed to be in such a great mood. She reacted to his jokes a little more than normal, he caught her gazing every now and then, it was nice. He figured maybe she was in a good enough mood to indulge his curiosity.

He just wanted to mention it one time, then he'd drop it. Just give the conversation a little pulse of life so it wasn't forgotten about. "Hey," getting her attention, "I had a great time last night, and I'm glad it hasn't been awkward at all."

She looked a little surprised at their sexcapades being brought up and she just offered a soft, stammered "o-oh, yeah," and started playing with her straw idly. It was hard to tell if she was embarrassed or disinterested, but he'd already told her they needed to be honest.

"Do you remember what the rule I added was?" he prompted. She looked up at him through her lashes and he repeated it for good measure, "I just want to know how your feeling, reassurance your comfortable. Honesty."

She looked exasperated and he was worried she was going to say she regretted it, that it was a mistake. Her words proved the contrary. "I really, really, really enjoyed myself."

"Then why do you look so unhappy?" he asked, sipping on his water.

She covered her face with her hands for a second before letting them fall into her lap, a slight blush painting her cheeks. "Because I don't want to seem forward or clingy, but I really want to do it again."

His brows furrowed in slight confusion, "Yeah, me too. I thought our agreement was long standing, not just a one night stand-"

She shook her head to let him know he was misunderstanding. "No, I mean, like today, er-tonight, again." She was trying to act nonchalant by playing with the skin around her fingernails, but he could tell from the way her eyes darted up to study his face that she thought she was pushing a boundary, just as he was worried he had been. They really were two sides of the same coin.

"Oh!" he exclaimed in realization, a smile broke out on his face and he could tell she thought it was at her expense and not out of relief. He quickly leaned forward to reassure her, "I wanted to ask you the same thing, but I was nervous. I didn't really know how to go about asking. I didn't want you to think it's all I want from you, especially since it was less than a day ago."

She let out a breath he hadn't known she'd been holding and she looked visibly relaxed from his admission. "Yeah, I didn't want you to think I was using you for your body," she teased with a wink he felt through his whole body.

"Oh, Scully. Please feel free to use my body whenever you need," he joked back. Then he settled more in his seat and got serious, "But we should work on that, uh-the requesting bit. I think we need to establish that we'll never get offended by the other asking."

She nodded at his words, a smile actually spreading across her mouth. "I agree. Worst case scenario is that we get told 'not tonight' and have to go back to our own place and take care of business ourselves. I think after six years we've become pretty astute in regards to self-satisfaction."

At the same time her words really dawned on him, she realized the implications of her words and started drinking out of her straw in an attempt to appear unfazed. Not that easy, Scully. "Six years? How specific."

She rolled her eyes lightheartedly, but was clearly a little embarrassed. "Don't tease me. Slip of the tongue."

His hopes were a little high, but he didn't see much harm in asking, "Back in the car when you told me that you'd fantasized about friends before, was I one of those friends?"

"This constitutes as teasing me, Mulder," she lilted sternly. Picking at the remnants of food on her plate.

She always took to his questioning best when he revealed himself first. Dropping his tone a bit he spoke in a hushed tone so she knew this was for her ears only, "Because I had been referring to you when I answered."

That got her attention. Her eyes flicked up from her plate and she stared at him for a moment, searching to make sure she saw nothing but pure honesty. When she found it, she smirked and replied, "Not 'one of' those friends, you are the only friend I'd thought of in that way."

"For six years?" he pried, his eyes involuntarily appreciating the tight pantsuit of the day.

She shrugged coyly, "Maybe, give or take."

"What a coincidence," was all he offered, the air around them had grown thick, but not unpleasantly so.

"When was the first time?" she asked. Her questions were stirring a bit of a reaction, and he did a quick glance around the diner to make sure no one was in hearing range or eavesdropping.

Once satisfied, he turned to her and, in the same low baritone as before, responded, "The first time I fantasized about you in general or after we became friends?"

She tilted her head in questioning, "You fantasized about me before we became friends."

He shrugged in shameless admittance, "Well, yeah. I was fond of you at the time, but we weren't really friends on our first case."

Her jaw dropped in mock admonishment, "Mulder, are you about to tell me when I came into your room, scared out of my mind, you were having illicit thoughts about me?"

He held his hands up in feigned surrender, "Hey, no, no, it wasn't necessarily when you disrobed in front of me, though that underwear set has made more than a few cameos in my nightly dreams, it was the fact you laid in _my bed_ for nearly two hours afterwards. You didn't tie your robe together very well and you kept moving around, you have no idea the power a sliver of skin can have."

Her flush returned once more and so did that impish gleam in her eye, "Wow, I had no idea while we were having such an important conversation in our relationship that you were leering at me. Tsk, tsk." She loved it and he knew it.

"Well, what about you?" he gave the question back to her.

"The first time before we became friends or after?" she mimicked with a flirtatious breathiness in her voice.

Now this was a surprise. He was more than open with his less than pure inclinations, but Scully was a whole different story. He knew she wasn't chaste, but she seemed so bright eyed and innocent when they first met. He could hardly imagine young Scully having any sort of impure thoughts about him. Without betraying his surprise, he mumbled with his fingers on his lips, "Before."

"I was honestly a little surprised, with your eidetic memory, I would've thought you'd be better with remembering faces," she took a sip of her water and watched him try to figure out her words.

"What do you mean?"

"We met before that day in the office, technically. You were still in VCU and I was still in training. One of your team members had a health issue and I was the only one around with a medical license. I helped him out and you thanked me," she smirked.

"Do you fantasize about all men that show you appreciation," he was joking, but he was genuinely curious what made such an impression on her.

"No, but what can I say? You were very attractive, and the way you stood over me, speaking so close I could feel your body heat, your hand pressed on the small of my back, it was a real turn on. You had a look of intensity and focus in your face that I was just attracted to, and you weren't predatory with your invading of my personal space, you were endearing." she explained it as if she was telling him the sky is blue. He wished he could go back and time and shake the hand of his younger self for unknowingly imbuing such an impression on Scully.

"Wait, so you thought I was hot when we first met in the basement? Scully, that's so cute."

She rolled her eyes at how amazed he was by this. "Mulder, we just had sex last night, I think it's pretty obvious I think you're 'hot'."

He let out a little chuckle, "I know, but still." Her casual reference to the fact they had, indeed, had sex, no euphemisms or pretenses covering up the fact, reminded him to get back to a more pressing point of questioning.

"So just _how_ astute exactly have you become in the art of self-satisfaction?" he inquired, using her words from earlier.

She grinned and he simultaneously felt a stocking clad foot languidly stroke his inner calf. "I might as well have a PhD in it." At her words, he glanced down at her hands, discreetly trying to figure out which ones she would use. He saw her middle and ring finger of her right hand curve ever so slightly into her palm before raising them to gently play with her lips which were curved in a coquettish smile at her own visual pun. Sometimes it scared him how well she knew what he was thinking. "You can't tell me the man with a porn collection doesn't indulge in a fair amount of self gratification."

He opened his mouth to say something witty when her foot itched up higher, brushing his inner thigh and eliciting a small gasp instead, much to her amusement. "Oh, if you only knew," he quipped. She took that moment to close the gap and her foot brushed against his budding erection, making him jump in his seat. It had already been building a little in his pants as the conversation progressed, but adding friction would quickly make the walk out of here embarrassing to say the least.

He grabbed her foot under the table, noting she must've kicked off her shoe somewhere without him noticing. "Wanna get out of here?" He squeezed her foot a little for emphasis.

She put on her shoe and grabbed his purse in one swift movement. "I thought you'd never ask." He followed her out of the apartment and noticed her pace was quicker than normal and it delighted him to no end. _She was in a rush to get back and have sex with him._

They slid into the car and got on the road in record time. Just as he was about to ask where he wanted them to go, she declared, "You're place."

"Are you sure, you don't have your car," he reminded.

"I'll get a taxi, you're place is closer." As much as he enjoyed the fact she could barely wait, he figured she really liked it being at his place so she could leave when she deemed fit. He knew she knew he'd never kick her out and the choice was hers, whereas she was probably worried he might not want to leave her place and she'd end up having to kick him out.

He couldn't give it much thought because her hand was picking up where her foot had left off, gripping his inner thigh with intention, rubbing small circles with her thumb. He risked a glance over at her and saw she had her head reclined lazily on the headrest and her gaze was hyper focused on his bulge.

She moved her hand up and started tracing one finger around the outline of his erection. Touching him just enough to drive him crazy, but not enough to be full satisfactory. Thank god he was proficient in multitasking or else he would have driven off the road by now. He could feel himself growing harder and harder as every cycle of outlining added more and more pressure. When he slowed down at a red light, she took the opportunity to grab him fully, stroking him roughly through his pants. He cried out and bucked into her hand and took the opportunity to be able to fully look at her.

She'd anticipated that and now her eyes were fully locked on him, wicked smile in place. "I want you inside me so badly, my whole body aches for you." His cock twitched in her hand at her words and it made the smile on her face widen. She has no idea the effect she has on him, let alone when she saying something like _that_ with his dick in her hand.

The past 24 hours had been full of discoveries about Scully; that she wanted him, that she'd partake in a friends with benefits arrangement, that she had no problem with touching him intimately, that she talked dirty, and that she was such a fucking tease. He loves it and wants to continue this exporation.

She got him to the point he was embarrassingly squirming in his seat, rocking himself back and forth against her delicate ministrations. Thank god he lived close because he wasn't sure if he could take much more of this. He parked haphazardly in front of his building and all but jogged to the front door. He was only stopped by an amused, but also hurried Scully calling out, "Mulder, lock your car!"

He sighed in frustration, making her chuckle as he ran back to his car, locking it with a resentment unbeknownst to inanimate objects and joined her at the front door. The slid into the elevators and, as soon as the doors shut, he grabbed her by the ass and pinned her against the wall, grinding himself into her as he assaulted her neck with kisses. She tasted like heaven and sounded even better, little breathy moans panting between her lips. "I've been thinking about this all day," she whined, running her hands through his hair.

He was going to respond, but he had better intentions for his mouth, namely covering hers with it. He kissed her hard on the mouth, melting when she opened up and welcomed him readily. Their tongues slid against each other in perfect harmony, pure desperation in their movements. Then the elevator stopped a little soonder and their eyes shot up and saw Floor 2 glowing brightly. He backed away from her, letting her gracefully land on her feet as they both frantically straightened up, standing on opposite sides of the elevator to unnecessarily pretend like they weren't together. They were done in the knick of time as the doors opened and a woman who lived stepped in, pressing for the fifth floor. She glanced over at him and cocked an eyebrow at him before looking at Scully. "Nice to see you Mr. Mulder."

"You too Andrea, how's Michael?" he asked, referring to the woman's young son. his breath was a little more strained than he'd have wished, but he honestly couldn't care in this moment.

"Good, thanks for asking." The doors for his floor opened as she answered and he stepped out, giving her a small goodbye. "See you later. That's a nice color on you by the way," she teased with a smile.

The doors closed and he looked down at his clothes, perplexed why she'd compliment him for just black business clothes. As he did this he heard Scully bust out laughing, looking over he notice the red lipstick she was wearing was smeared all over her mouth and, no doubt, he looked the same. He joined her in amusement as they ran to his door like impatient teenagers.

She took the old handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her mouth before wiping his as he unlocked the door. As soon as it was she grabbed his hand and led him in, barely giving him time to slam the door behind them. She pivoted around like a ballerina and threw her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes to press another kiss to his mouth as her body pressed flush against him. He was about to deepen the kiss when she broke away, keeping the same position. "I want to pay you back for last night."

His hands slid down her back and grabbed the meat of her ass, pressing her into his straining erection. "You already are."

Her eyes fluttered at the friction but she shook her head, "No, no, I am a firm believer in reciprocity and you were jipped last night."

He wasn't quite sure what she meant, but his cock was ready for whatever this reciprocity entailed. When they got to the couch, she pushed him down so he was in a sitting position and she kneeled down in front of him, her elbows resting on his knees as she went to work on his belt. _Oh fuck._

He was speechless as he watched his dreams come true in front of his eyes. She unbuckled his belt before popping out the top button and sliding down the zipper of his pants. She opened everything wider so his erection was visible through his boxers, she bent down and kissed him through the fabric and he almost died on the spot. A sound escaped from deep in his throat and she looked up at him mischievously.

Her delicate little fingers parted the fly of his boxers and he finally got the skin on skin contact he was waiting for. She reached in and grabbed him, bringing his full length out into the air. He swore she could feel his heartbeat though the appendage alone. She held it gently in her hand as she examined it, his eyes watching her intently the entire time. He was just starting to get nervous when she murmured, "Mulder, I can't believe you walk around with this in your pants all the time."

His laugh turned into a throaty moan as the side of her tongue slid from base to tip, repeating that multiple times until he was well lubricated. He watched her ministrations in pure rapture. She glanced up at him one last time as she took him completely in her mouth, that was the last thing he saw before his eyes rolled into the back of his head. God, her mouth felt so good. He had a hard time believing this was actually Scully, _his Scully,_ with her lips wrapped around him right now.

She bobbed her head up and down his length. Everytime his tip was the only thing in her mouth, she would swirl her tongue around his head before plunging back down until he could feel the back of her throat, the flat of her tongue pressing against his length the rest of the time. God, she was so sexy. He was in complete awe as he watched her cheeks hollow as she sucked on him, it was almost too much to bear. Her hands were doing amazing things on his balls at the same time, massaging them both equally with a doctor's precision.

That's why she must have felt he was close and eased him out out her mouth, letting him bob back in the air with an audible wetness. Her eyes were trained on him as she did this and he could have cum from the sight of her red swollen lips and her watery eyes alone. That mixed with the lewd string of precum mixed with saliva still attaching his penis and her lips.

She stood up and the trail broke, snapping back against her chin. She was in too much of a hurry to unbutton her shirt, so she whipped it off over her head as he did the same. He lifted his ass and slid out of his underwear and pants, kicking off his shoes as he watched her shimmy her hips out of her skirt. She was in thigh high stockings that made him weak. Scully must've picked up on his admiration because she just removed her underwear and kept the stockings on.

She sauntered to him and placed one knee on either side of his thighs. She was his goddess and he was weak to her will. She grinned down at him as she maneuvered her hips so that she was hovering over his aching hard on. Instead of immediately sinking down onto him, like he oh so wanted, she rocked herself back and forth against him, letting him feel how absolutely soaking wet she was.

He took in a sharp breath between gritted teeth and his hands shot to her hips, overwhelmed by the woman above him. She must've taken pity on him because she reached between them and grabbed his girth firmly, she brought him to her clit first and tapped him against her sensually before pushing him back and easing herself down on him.

Her eyes never left his face, as if she wanted to see the effect she had on him with every inch he went into her. She wrapped her arms around him when she was fully sitting on him and he was as deep in her as he could go. "I'm a little sore from last night and you're huge, so just give me a minute." His jaw was clenched in self restraint and sweat was beading at his hairline, but he would never hurt her so he remained still as a statue. He nodded, since he couldn't trust his voice and she smiled down at him, closing the gap to give him a sweet kiss. It was a lot less desperate, and, if he had been allowed to refer to it as such, much more romantic. He could taste himself on her tongue and it was absolute bliss.

She pulled back and murmured against his lips, "Thank you, you're so sweet to me." He wanted to tell her she'd practically just sucked the soul out of him, but she took that time to start bouncing up and down on him and all coherent thoughts left his body.

He didn't know what he wanted to look at most; her breasts bouncing in his face, the way he could see his penis disappear in between her swollen lips, or the way her face was contorted in pleasure. When one of her hands left his shoulder to start rubbing her clit, his decision was made for him. _Scully was riding the life out of him and masturbating in his lap._ He truly was still a little worried this was all in his imagination because he had no idea life could be so rewarding as it was in this moment.

His hands, which had been gripping her thighs, slid around and grabbed her ass once more, kneading it with the palms of his hands and bringing her closer to him. He didn't know her voice could be so high bitched, usually it was always at a sensual alto, but here she was crying out and mewling sensual high notes in his ear. He bent down, the best he could with their current position, and took a nipple in her mouth, sucking as if it was the last thing he'd ever do.

It must have felt great for her because he could feel her hand become more frantic, as the back of it was grinding against his pubic bone. He kept it up, alternating between nipples as she started impaling herself harder and harder down on him. Then, her hand shot out from in between them as she gripped his shoulders like a vice. Her thrusts became more languid as she sank all the way down on him and undulated her hips against him. He released her nipple and watched as her orgasm overtook her. She was twitching and trembling against him and her vaginal walls were clenched like a vice around him. She started to come down when he rotated his hips in tandem with her, hitting her everywhere. Her eyes shot open in shock and she cried out his name as a second orgasm built off the coattails of the other.

He pounded into her twice more as he joined her in nirvana. He clutched onto her back and pressed her naked body against his in an erotic hug. After a moment they laid there panting, sweaty skin against sweaty skin. She made no attempt to move, even draping her arms over his shoulders to hug him back as he pulsed inside her. He raised a hand and stroked her auburn tresses, enjoying the intimacy of this moment.

Oh how he loves her.

 **Yay! Chapter three is down and in the books. Leave a comment and let me know if you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for all your time! -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	4. Blurred Lines

**Author's Notes: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the positive feedback on this story! I am so grateful for the positive reception it's gotten. Hope you enjoy.**

Scully had never really realized what a sexual being she was until she finally broke her six year dry spell. Maybe it was the way her body felt refreshed and her mood was rejuvenated, or maybe it was the way Mulder seemed to worship her when they had sex, with absolute and unyielding appreciation. Either way, she felt more sensual than she had in her entire life, and she was having a lot of fun with their arrangement.

Maybe a little too much fun.

She'd been beyond ecstatic when he'd agreed the other night, and was more than willing, to take her to his apartment and make her teeth rattle, but deep down she knew this shouldn't turn into a daily occurrence. That's how things would end up getting messy. It was possible to have too much of a good thing when you weren't supposed to be indulging in the good thing to begin with. However, she was just having so much _fun_ teasing him, no wonder he'd done it to her for the entirety of their partnership. There was something thrilling about flirting with someone and seeing them try to reign in their reactions.

Boy, did he have a lot of reactions to her outfit the day after their first time. Call it a libido high, but she wanted more and she wanted to entice him. She wore an outfit that practically lived in the back of her closet due to its clinging nature, and slid on a pair of thigh high stockings as a special reward if the day turned out like she wanted it to. It did. Mulder's eyes maybe left her for a combined total of thirty minutes during their entire day together. She only called him out on it once because the intensity of his stare was making her lower belly tingle and she didn't want him to pick up on her squirming to alleviate pressure. She still had his attention the rest of the day though, hell, even Skinner appreciated her outfit.

When they were walking to their cars, the unspoken words were practically burning her tongue, " _Please invite me over. I want you, Mulder."_ Instead, she said nothing, but apparently fate wanted her to get fucked. She'd never been so happy to get a flat tire, and she'd equally never been as happy to go to that cheap diner. Damn, that was hot. She hadn't meant to let it slip she'd masturbated to him for the entirety of their partnership, but hearing him tell her he wanted her for just as long was absolutely worth it.

She didn't know what got into her when she slid her heel off and started touching him under the table. The look in his eye made it impossible for her to stop. Even after running to the car her hands were magnetized to his body. He returned the sentiment in the elevator, and then god know he rocked her world on the couch. That was undoubtably the best sex of her entire life thus far. It was as close to having an eternal orgasm as she could get. She was impressed that a man packing something like _that_ was still so talented with pelvic rotations and generous strokes.

It was mindblowingly fantastic, but the sex was always followed by the part that was hard for her; the intimate post-sex recovery. Especially when he was so damn tender and loving about it. He always cleaned up after her and asked how she was, but this last time was more than she expected.

 _She'd had her face buried in his neck as she came down from her latest earth-shattering orgasm, her arms sprawled over his shoulders, a leg on either side of him as he still pulsed inside her. He raised one hand to rub her back as the other tenderly stroked her hair. He was still trying to regain his breath too, she could feel it coming out in small pants through his nose as the air cooled the sweaty skin of her shoulder. It was the most relaxed and content she could ever remember being._

 _It scared her._

 _All too soon, she disentangled herself and stood up, trying her best not to look at the expression on Mulder's face while he watched her gather her clothes, his penis laying spent against his abdomen, still glistening from their mixed arousal. She wanted to stay, she wanted to fall asleep in his lap as he did romantic things like rubbing her back and stroking her hair, but she couldn't. They couldn't._

 _She was a woman of hard facts, of proven statistics and data, who liked knowing the answers to the unknown. She had no way of hypothesizing what a relationship between her and Mulder would entail. This was already a leap, a leap that took six years to get to and was proving to have more than beneficial outcomes. Romance had more variables than she knew what to do with, and if she ruined their relationship because she couldn't reign in her feelings, it would kill her. Mulder would probably tell her all answers are found in the unknown, that what lies there has the potential to be either good or bad depending on how one goes about it. They'd risked so much in the unknown and lost so much, the only thing getting them through it was the other. They couldn't afford the risk._

 _He probably wasn't even interested in something like that anyway. He was so focused on his mission, she wasn't sure something so "normal" as a romantic relationship or even a domestic partnership was even on his radar. She didn't know how to justify the look of longing she saw on his face as anything other than her wishful thinking and projecting, but i_ _t was gone as quickly as it had been there anyway. He stood up with her, put on his boxers, and insisted that he could drive her home instead of her calling a taxi. She politely declined, they exchanged friendly goodbyes and she spent the rest of the night enjoying her residual endorphins and trying to bury her feelings._

Easier said than done, especially since she felt hornier than ever recently. The past three days since the last time had been relatively uneventful, just the normal amount of suffocating sexual tension and egregious flirtations, but they hadn't fooled around in a while, her libido reminder her of that fact frequently. She was starting to get worried that she'd made him feel bad with her insistent refusal to stay at his place, but he still seemed like his normal self.

She turned her head to sneak a peak at him, and saw that he had his eyes lazily focused on the road as he popped a sunflower seed into his mouth. They got a case earlier today and they were driving to their motel tonight, for the meeting with the county sheriff wasn't until morning. She slept for the first four hours of the car ride and woke up at the perfect time to catch him stealing a glance at the sliver of cleavage that had been revealed from buttons coming undone in her sleep. She didn't move to fix it. Instead, she let out a little sleepy moan, arching her back like a cat so that her chest was shoved even more in his direction, a fleeting prayer passing her mind hoping that he wouldn't kill them in a wreck over her tits.

She opened her eyes fully and his gaze shot to the road before he started coughing, his small gasp had sent a sunflower seed into the back of his throat. She smiled at his juvenile ogling, especially now that he knew what was underneath and he didn't need to sneak a peek. After he recovered from his predicament, sunflower seed resentfully discarded, he turned to her and rasped, "Did you sleep well?"

She answered in a sleep laden voice, "Yeah, thanks, how close are we now?"

"About fifteen minutes," he replied. She used the flip down car mirror to fix the makeup that had smeared under her eyes and wipe away the crusty drool that was attached to the corners of her mouth, ignoring Mulder's insistence that she looked fine.

Now they'd been checked in for over half an hour, she was settled in her adjoining motel room, and she was bored out of her mind. On a normal night, she might have taken a bath and fallen asleep, but tonight she was restless. She decided to get comfortable and kicked off her shoes, took off her pantyhose, and was about to unfasten her skirt when Mulder called out, "Hey, Scully. Come here."

She made her way to the adjoining door and pushed her way in. In record time, Mulder had managed to run to a gas station and grab some snacks for them; a pile of brightly colored, packaged candy sitting by a pile of fruit sitting on the nightstand by his bed, which he was sitting on. "Wow, nice haul," she offered, easing herself down next to him. The tv was playing some rerun of _Star Trek_ that acted as white noise in the background.

"I figured since the town probably doesn't have anything late night that we could make do with this," he told her while grabbing a yellow package of peanut m&m's.

She crawled to that side of the bed, reached her body over his, and grabbed a peach before sitting down a few inches away from him, noting the way his breath hitched at the close proximity. They usually were on the same wavelength, and if that was still true, he was longing for a little bit of physical release too. She just felt a little awkward instigating it again since she always seemed to be the one to do so. That didn't mean she couldn't tempt him.

"Are you tired?" She asked. She took the peach in her hand and took a big, lazy bite of it, knowing damn well it would get messy. He turned to answer her question and saw as the juices leaked down her chin and arm. She pretended like it was an accident while the cool juice ran down her chin, passed her throat, and disappeared into the neckline of her shirt, his eyes following it the entire journey.

"I-I'm not, actually," he stammered, meeting her eyes before being mesmerized by her next movement. A second trail ran down her forearm as she held the fruit, and she couldn't resist licking the flat of her tongue up her arm, much in the manner she used on him the other day, lapping the juices while making eye contact with him.

"Me either," she hummed while tilting her chin up, using her finger to wipe the line of juice that had leaked down her throat before bringing the finger to her lips and sucking the juice off. "That nap really has me wide awake, I need to tire myself out again." This was a lot easier than she'd expected, the look in his eye was almost ravenous as she took another coy bite of her peach.

He looked contemplative as he remained motionless for a moment, clearly not used to having to be the instigator. "Scully, do the rules about flirting at work and what not extend to out of town cases?" He murmured, imperceptibly scooting closer to her, his gaze never leaving her face, dancing between her wet lips and her suggestive eyes.

"Well, technically we haven't started working yet since we haven't met with the sheriff," she mused with a lilt. As soon as the words left her mouth, he grabbed the peach, discarded it haphazardly with his m&ms and closed the gap between them, using both hands to bring her closer to him.

She missed this so much. It'd only been a few days, but her body reacted like it'd been a lifetime. As they slid down on the bed, their bodies horizontally intertwined, she didn't move to straddle him immediately. She'd made a mental agreement with herself the other day that she'd give him a little more of what he liked next time. She said she liked multiple orgasms, and he gave them to her unrelentingly. He said he liked kissing, and they hadn't really spent much time indulging, usually just letting it act as a quick introduction. She was going to return the favor.

Their lips met with initial chaste pecks, enjoying the feel of soft lips grazing over each other. She'd spent years watching Mulder's cute pouty bottom lip, and feeling it pursing against her own was like a dream. She loved his initial touches, it was like he was holding a china doll he was afraid to break. He tentatively wrapped his arm around her middle in a sensual hug and raised the other to tangle in her hair, ever so gently running the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone.

She innocently nuzzled one of her legs in between his as she grabbed the back of his head and grabbed his middle, just wanting to lay her hands on him. He deepened the kiss this time, opening up his mouth and sucking on her bottom lip. She could feel his tongue languidly running against the pink swell and she opened her mouth against his.

There was something indescribable about how it felt to experience their tongues dancing together. She could feel his personality in the kiss. He would explore her mouth every time, as if he was certain he'd find something new. She inadvertently pressed into him a little when the flats of their tongues slid against each other. They liked to play between dominance, their pressing back and forth in desperation.

Her hand moved down his face and she could feel his five o'clock shadow against her palm, that would definitely burn against her thighs later. As she stroked his face, her thumb came in contact with that little mole that adorned his face, that gave him character. She just couldn't get over all the features she'd spent so long admiring being this accessible to her right now.

He would occasionally move his head back, not to break the kiss, but to change pace from wet sloppy kissed to more gentle ones he would press to her swollen lips, baring his soul to her. He pressed a few more to the corners of her mouth before running his tongue from the point of her chin back to her lips, when he returned she could taste the remnants of the peach.

No wonder he liked kissing so much, he was masterful at it. He'd barely really touched her, but she felt every cell in her body light on fire, as if she was struck by lightning. She could feel the hair on her arms raise and goosebumps spread all over her body when she felt his soft pants for breath release a warm breeze over the wetness of her lips. She was drunk off him and she wanted more. She tightened her grasp on his hair a little and pressed him closer to her, enjoying the feeling of his silky strands under her fingers.

He obliged without contention and tightened his own grip on her, just desperate to get closer. She pulled his tongue into her mouth and sucked on it playfully, his lips curving upwards against her own as his hand lazily rubbed across her back. He withdrew and placed a trail of kisses from her mouth, on her cheek, on her temple, before placing one in her hair, inhaling the smell of her shampoo as he did so.

She nuzzled closer and placed a series of sweet kisses to his neck, reveling in the way she felt his heartbeat quicken under her lips. As she playfully nipped at his Adam's apple, he used his fingernails to scratch her scalp, making her entire body shudder in pleasure. His Adam's apple moved against her lips as he laughed and she broke away to watch his amused expression.

He looked like the most content man in the entire world, he caught her stare and the joy was palpable. He moved to kiss her again, and this time rolled on top of her, supporting his weight on his elbows to avoid crushing her. She opened her eyes when he took his lips away and she was met with him gazing down at her, his lips seemingly permanently curved upwards and his eyes holding a lifetime's worth of adoration. His attention made her blush and she knew he could tell because his hands moved to cup her face, feeling her heated face under his finger tips. She watched as his eyes followed his finger in an exploration of the valleys of her face, trailing over the slope of her nose, the curve of her lips, the arch of her eyebrows she oh so liked to question him with. It was like he was committing her face to memory and it was painfully endearing.

He leaned down to place another kiss to her lips, their tongues had just touched when three quick knocks rapped on the door. They both broke apart and stared at the door. "Agent Mulder, are you in there?"

Scully scrambled out from under Mulder so fast he almost fell over. She hadn't been caught in the middle of heavy petting since she was on high school. She started to go into her room to avoid suspicion when Mulder's voice whispered, "Scully!"

She turned around, straightening her skirt and shirt, "What?"

"Can you please answer the door for me?" He begged, walking over to the closet to presumably hide himself in.

Her brows furrowed in confusion, "Why? That'd be suspicious and they're looking for you."

"Agent Mulder, are you alright?" The voice called out again.

"Scully," he whined desperately. He turned around and she noticed his predicament. He was gesturing to his raging hard erection, straining tightly and _noticeably_ against his pants.

She wouldn't make him go through that embarrassment, so she motioned for him to hide as she ran around the bed, straightening her hair into place. She whipped open the door and was met with a stout old man who looked immediately confused by her presence. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought-"

"Sorry, this is Mul-Agent Mulder's room, he had to step out for a while. I'm Agent Scully, his partner. Can I help you?" she interrupted.

He accepted her answer and greeted her with a smile, "Well darn, I thought I'd catch you both. Well I just wanted to introduce myself before we get down to the nitty gritty tomorrow, I'm Sheriff Peterson. Nice to meet ya."

She took the mans outstretched hand, hoping he wouldn't notice how sweaty her palms were. "That's very kind, nice to meet you too."

If he noticed, he didn't show it. "Well, I appreciate you both comin' out. Most people have a hard time believing me."

She smiled at his hospitality and politely replied, "We just want to help in anyway we can. I apologize for my rudeness, but it's been a long day and I'm about to go to my room and sleep. I'll extend your welcome to Agent Mulder when he comes back."

Before she even finished her sentence, he was nodding. "Absolutely, sorry for the late visit. Thank you." He turned to leave but something stopped him, "Hey, is the air conditioning working in your room?"

She tried to recall if she had any issues. She remembered turning it on and there wasn't a problem, "Yes, why?"

"Oh, nothing. Ya just looked a little flushed, that's all." Scully felt her heart hammering lightly in her chest at his words but said nothing. "Sorry 'bout that. Have a good night."

"You too," she called back, shutting the door immediately behind her. _That was too close._

She must've actually said that out loud because Mulder came out of his hiding spot looking apologetic. "I'm sorry," he offered, clearly not quite knowing what to do in the moment. It was a little tense in the room and they both knew it.

"No, no. Don't be sorry, we just probably should do anything when we're out of town. It's just too risky," she sighed, walking around the bed and heading to the door, she felt her hands shaking a little bit and she hoped he didn't notice.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he conceded, the disappointment he was trying to hide was thick in his voice and prominent in his pants.

She offered him a weak smile and he returned it lightly. "Goodnight, Mulder."

"'Night, Scully," she closed the door and stood there for a moment trying to regain herself.

That was too close, not because they were interrupted but because that wasn't just two people letting off a little steam. That was intimate. An intimate that made her heart ache and her soul yearn. Something like that was all she'd wanted and it hurt to walk away.

That felt like love.

 **Sorry this ones a little shorter than normal, it was written on my iPhone on a train and in transit. Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for more. -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	5. Absolute Need

**Author's Note: Thank you for sticking around this far! I am so sorry for the dealy. I couldn't find enough time to write in my downtime, but I'm back in America, so you can expect more frequent updates now! Hope you enjoy, I tried to make this a lil extra smutty as my gratitude for your patience.**

Mulder stood in the middle of his motel room absolutely stupified. The air was still tense with the unspoken, and it was uncomfortably warm from what could have been and almost was. He'd been looking at the adjoining door for the past five minutes waiting for her to come back, for her to say something. She didn't. Scully had faced more danger than almost anyone he'd ever met. She'd been face to face with evil and walked into more life threatening situations than he could even count.

So why was she so scared now?

He shook his head before he could even dwell on the thought for too long. He'd ran through all the scenarios in his mind countless times before and it wouldn't do him any good to start again. He already knew damn well why she reacted that way. Even if he didn't, the look in her eyes would have told him everything. _They crossed a line tonight._ In the past, they'd just been desperate and hungry with lust. What just happened wasn't just two horny adults releasing tension. That kiss was loving, passionate, tender, revealing, everything they had been successfully keeping close to their hearts. Their barriers had crumpled, and he just wanted to know what she was thinking.

He heard the muffled 'click' of her lamp from across the door and accepted that he wouldn't be getting any answers tonight. With a resolved sigh, he took off his clothes until he was bare in his boxers and laid down on the bed, turning up the television a little louder. He tried to watch the screen with forced interest, but no matter what he did, he couldn't take his mind off what had just happened in that bed. His mind couldn't get over it, and neither could a more pressing part of his body. He tried to ignore it, but the bed was still warm from their body heat, and when he turned to the side, her scent still lingered on the pillow.

He furtively glanced at the door one more time, turned up the television volume some more, and started gently running his fingers over the bulge in his boxers, tracing his own outline with delicate precision. He hadn't needed to indulge like this in a while, but it was the only way he was going to get any sleep tonight. He burrowed himself a little deeper into the bed and took a generous inhale of the pillow next to him. _God he wanted her._

She was so warm and soft in his arms, he could still feel the way her body felt writhing against his. His cock twitched against his hand and he raised his fingers up and snuck them below the elastic of his waistband, stifling a groan as he fully grabbed his throbbing shaft. He'd been thinking of her while doing this for so long, it was just a given. Nothing else got him off the way she does. Even if he was watching a video, he'd fantasize about Scully doing those things to him. Though now was different, being he actually knew what the real deal entailed.

He vividly remembered the last time they were together, when she rocked his world on his couch. Her face was always so trained on his, as if she enjoyed watching his reactions of pleasure like he did with her. He loved it. He got to see the little quirks of her face when he hit a particularly sweet spot, the way her lips would part to let out breathy pants, the way her eyes completely glazed over when she reached her peak. He pulled himself more fully out of his boxers and wiped the precum leaking out of his head before sliding his fist down his length. He rotated his hips against the bed and grinded against his hand when he remembered the way her legs hugged against him to keep herself in place.

He was biting his lip in a conscious effort to be quiet, only letting shaky breath between gritted teeth. It felt a little ridiculous to try to hide something like this after what they've experienced together, but he felt like it wouldn't really be something she'd be in the mood to hear right now. It was getting harder to hold back though. He was deeply caught up in the memory of her breath against his neck and the way her breast felt as they bounced against his naked chest. Every downward stroke of his hand brought back the memory of plunging into her wet, tight heat. God, the sound of her voice-

"Mulder, I just-oh." His eyes snapped open when her voice sounded closer than a memory. He was immediately met with the sight of Scully standing in the doorway next to the bed, staring at his crotch with wide eyes.

His hand whipped out of his boxers, the waistband of which just snapped against his erection, making it wave at Scully rather than cover him. He reached down and raised the waistband fruitlessly over himself, fruitlessly because it was nothing she hadn't seen before, the tent left nothing to the imagination, and his tip was trying to peek through the fly. He frantically grabbed a pillow and put it over his crotch, rolling on his side and propping himself up on one elbow to face her. "Um, hey,"he coughed, grasping his right hand with his left to try to hide the sheen of wetness from her.

Her cheeks were red and it took her a second to register he'd said anything to her. "Oh, um. I'm sorry, I should have knocked." Her voice sounded lower than normal, and he realized she wasn't as embarrassed as he would have anticipated.

"Wait," he called out, stopping her in her tracks. "Don't worry about it. What did you need?" He'd been waiting for her to come in, he wanted to hear what she had to say regardless of the timing.

She turned around and her eyes flickered back down to the pillow before returning to his face. "I-I just wanted to apologize if I sounded curt earlier. I just wanted you to know I wasn't angry with you or anything."

"Thank you. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, earlier or right now," he joked.

She smiled lightly before stealing one last appreciative glance, "No, no, not at all. I'm sorry I barged in on you."

"You're always welcome to barge in on me." Definitely not his finest moment of eloquence, but it seemed to amuse her nonetheless.

"I'll leave you to it," she chuckled, gesturing to the elephant in the room. For a fleeting second, he thought she was going to walk over to him. There was a look of desire in her eyes that was unmistakable, but it was masked as quickly as it appeared. "Sweet dreams, Mulder."

"You'll be there, so they will be," he called out as she was closing the door, not missing the smile that broke out on her face at his poor attempt at flirting.

He threw the pillow away from him and rolled onto his back, letting out a repressed breath. He figured she wouldn't walk in again, knowing now what he was in the middle of, so he resumed with less hesitance. He heard Scully plop onto her bed in the other room and he couldn't help but imagine what she looked like right now. Was she still flushed? Was she taking off her suit and getting ready for bed?

He could feel himself pulsating in his palm as his body tingled with lust. His ministrations stopped when he heard a gasp that didn't come from himself and he strained to hear if Scully was alright. It was silent for a few beats before he heard her ragged breath. He knew exactly what that breath meant and he could have came in his hand right then and there. She was touching herself after catching him masturbating.

He lightly moaned into the room and he didn't even care if she heard him. He wanted her to know. He used his thumb to circle around the head of his cock as he imagined what was happening on the other side of the wall. Was she laying on her back, her legs bent and spread eagle? Was she circling her clit with her nimble fingers, plunging into herself and imagining it was him? " _Ah, Mul-"_ A breathy, desperate voice moaned. She cut herself off, but it was enough for him to assume the answer to the last question was a yes.

He moved his left hand down and fondled his balls as his right hand sped up the pace. The slapping of his wet hand hitting his base of his pubis echoed off the motel walls and that, combined with his rapid breathing, was a cacophony of lust he hoped reached her ears. Just like her little whimpers of pleasure and the unquestionable sound of a woman's wetness were reaching his.

He could feel he was getting close, his entire body on fire with anticipation. He jumped when he heard a thud on the wall behind his head, but then he heard the sound of nails scratching and he knew Scully had her hand on the wall separating them. He eased himself down the bed a bit so that he could hit the wall with his own palm, an odd way of connecting them in the world's weirdest mutual masturbation session.

As soon as his hand hit he heard a low moan, and he had no doubts she felt the same connection he did. They were both masturbating to each other, and absolutely fully aware of it. He tightened his grip and let out a rugged, "Fuck, Scully."

A loud gasp happened on the other side and the nails against the wall scratched in a long hard motion and Mulder knew she was cumming. The knowledge itself had him spurting hot onto his abdomen as he drew out her name one final time. They came down silently and went to bed in silent amusement at their creativity. He wasn't sure their relationship would ever be anything close to normal.

The case itself went by quickly, yet again it was just another instance that evil likes to hide wearing the skin of man. It only took two and a half days for them to solve, and, in all honesty, their relationship was the biggest X-File they dealt with.

The first day they met with coy shyness in their eyes, not bringing up what had transpired the night before though not letting it make anything awkward. The only even slight mentioning of it was they way they both unintentionally glared at Sheriff Peterson, irritated with the man who single handedly disrupted their evening. He didn't notice though, he was too thrilled to have agents there who were willing to give him the time of day.

Apparently bodies were turning up frequently with odd markings on their bodies. Not quite cuts, not quite burns, but all in the same unusual arrangements. The police had been at an absolute standstill, mostly due to the officers believing it was most likely a human suspect but the sheriff believing it was a knock-off version of bigfoot. That first day was relatively uneventful, Scully autopsied all the victims while Mulder spent the entire day with the local pd canvasing the crime scenes and talking to the townspeople.

By the time they got back to the motel, they were absolutely dead tired. They barely mumbled goodbyes before Mulder collapsed into bed, only to hear small knocks on his door a few minutes later. He rolled out of bed and trudged the few feet to the door, surprisingly met with Scully wrapped in only a towel with her pyjamas in hand. "This is a good look on you," he teased.

She rolled her eyes and barely suppressed a yawn. "Mulder, the water in my room isn't on and I really just want to wash the formaldehyde off me and go to bed. Can I use your shower?"

He opened the door wider to invite her in, and watched as she walked passed him. He noticed she had temporarily put her hair up and it brought a small smile to his face. He loved it when she did that because her hair was so short, little odds and ends always fell out, especially at the nape of her neck and around her temples. For such an elegant woman like Scully, it just looked adorably out of character. "Thank you," she called over her shoulder as she made her way to the bathroom.

"No problem," he replied, falling back onto the bed like a sack of flour.

He must've dozed off as she showered, but he woke up enough to remember her coming out of the steaming room wearing a tight white t-shirt with a pair of short-shorts. "That's another good look on you," he mumbled through a haze of sleep. He heard her chuckle before falling back to sleep.

The next day, a few more developments were made in the case. While Mulder and the Sheriff were interviewing a local, they found out that apparently a tall man with grey hair was seen entering the forest on a few nights of the killing. This was news to Mulder, but the Sheriff made it sound like it was a worthless lead. Scully confirmed that the marks on the bodies were definitely human made and didn't come from any animal. To which, the sheriff, yet again, got irritated with. It started to become clear that he was dead set determined to believe in his outlandish theory despite the evidence, and Scully joked this was like working with two Mulders.

After the sheriff left and they were left alone in the morgue, Mulder made a discovery that personally thrilled him. He was leaning over Scully's shoulder, listening to her explain some of the other findings, when he caught a whiff of something masculine coming from her. He leaned down closer to her, nuzzling his nose in her auburn tressed, and smelled her hair, followed by smelling the skin of her neck.

"It would make sense that the welts came from-Mulder, what are you doing?" she paused, looking at him questioningly.

"Scully, did you use my shower stuff?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice.

"Um, y-yeah. I just forgot mine," she stammered, seemingly more embarrassed at being caught using his soap than she was catching him masturbating.

He smiled at her and decided to tease her a little bit, "Even though the motel stuff was there?"

She was starting to blush and she looked away from him, shrugging nonchalantly. "You smell good," she mumbled in a voice that implied ' _I wanted to smell like you.'_

In the least territorial way possible, he simply enjoyed the fact that she smelled like him. It was a weird primal sensation, but it made him feel proud nonetheless. "I like it," he whispered, backing up a bit to give her space.

She let out a little breath of amusement before becoming Doctor Scully again. "Anyway, the welts probably came from someone trying to carve the victims skin. Probably with-" she continued, ignoring the tension in the room. They spent the rest of the day analyzing the markings on the bodies which eventually led them to believe the killer was striking on days aligning with the full moon, very stereotypical. They tried to contact the sheriff with the new information, but he was unreachable. Instead, they went out to the forest with some officers and canvassed the area for anything out of the ordinary.

They found it, but Mulder wished it had gone down smoother.

Per usual, Scully and him were a team and were canvasing the north area of the forest. They were walking side by side, scanning their flashlights over the terrain. They should have been in a bigger group. They shouldn't have been so blasé about the search. They also should have been a little more quiet.

Before all hell broke loose, they had been talking about the sheriff's shady behavior. They both thought he was odd the entire time, and couldn't understand why someone so apt to find out the truth would be so unreachable. "I was in the middle of something, my apologies," a voice called out from the darkness.

They jumped and saw the sheriff standing in front of them, looking animalistic and wild. They both reached for their weapons, but his was already out. "Nuh uh uh, even think about it and the pretty one won't be so pretty anymore," he sang. Mulder's heart dropped as he saw the man's gun was trained solely on Scully, aiming right at her head.

"Why are you doing this? Why ask us to come out if you're the one doing this?" she asked, her voice not betraying the fear shimmering in her eyes.

"Nothing ever happens in this town. I wanted something interesting to go down with my name, I figured bringing in such a creepy team of the FBI would stir something up. I figured you'd come, see it wasn't your normal case, and leave after that. I'd tell the town different though. It was going to become a legend, a folktale. You were quicker than I anticipated though." He rambled. Mulder could see Scully was repulsed by the senseless violence for such a trivial cause, but she held it in nicely.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" Mulder asked, trying to get the man's attention off of Scully. He turned his head, but the gun remained trained on her. The look in his eyes made it clear this was a man with no Plan B. He was so caught up in his fantasy world, he didn't know how to operate in this one.

He never got to formulate an answer though. One of the officers was closer than anticipated, and they stepped on a twig about twenty feet away. It spooked Peterson and he shot. It took Mulder less time than a heartbeat to pull out his own gun and shoot the man in the head. A blind, cold panic crashing over his body. He turned, fully expecting to see Scully crumpled on the ground, but he ended up almost crashing into her instead.

"Scully, Scully, are you okay?" he rushed, grabbing her by the biceps and scanning her for wounds.

She nodded and brought her flashlight up, turning around while in place and flashing the light on the tree behind her head. Right where a bullet hole was deeply lodged. Three inches over and she'd be dead. They both remained silent as the police worked around them, surveying the bodies of the victim and the killer, trying to figure out what happened, asking if Scully needed an ambulance since she was shot at, asking if Mulder needed an ambulance because he looked like he was about to pass out.

"No, no. We just-we just want to give whatever statements you need and go to the motel. Can everything else wait until morning?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

They agreed and they were back at the motel within the hour. The car ride was spent in absolute silence. It just felt surreal. They'd been through so much, but she almost died because of something so absolutely stupid. It wasn't her cancer, it wasn't fighting the people who were set on destroying them, it wasn't catching one of their villains, she almost died from a man who wanted his life to be a little more interesting. It made Mulder sick. He almost pulled off to the side of the road a few times thinking he may actually be.

When they got back to the motel, they went to the doors with the silence still following them. He glanced over at her and noticed how exhausted she looked. "How are you?" he asked.

She glanced up at him and tried to offer him a reassuring smile, but it wouldn't reach her eyes. It was like turning on a burnt out lightbulb, she was at the part where it flickered a bit before plunging you into darkness. "I've been better. I just want to get some rest and try to put this behind me."

 _You almost died._ The sentence was on repeat in his head, but his lips didn't attempt to form the words. Instead he nodded and silently pulled her into his arms, just wanting to feel that her skin was warm and her heart was beating and her lungs were breathing. They stayed like that under the fluorescent welcome lights of the hotel before parting and bidding each other goodnight.

Sleep evaded him. He just laid in the dark hotel room and thought of what this night could have been. This might have been the night he lost Scully for good. Tonight he might have experienced what it would be like to hold her limp body. To look in her eyes and realize the mind that he loved wasn't looking at him behind an empty stare. Her throat wouldn't release her melodic voice, wouldn't laugh, wouldn't question him. Tonight he might have had to call Margaret Scully and tell her the day finally came that he led her daughter to her death. Tonight the woman who meant the world to him would simply cease to exist, only spoken about in past tense when all his thoughts of the future bared her name. Tonight they both almost died.

A standard nail, a finger, a clothespin, a crayon, all about three inches, all small, all representative of the difference between his partner sleeping soundly in her bed and her laying dead in a body bag.

Mulder let out an exasperated breath and ran his hands over his face. He pulled the covers off him and made his way to the adjoining door, opening it and closing it softly behind him without a second thought. He turned and his anxiety was immediately comforted by being able to see the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, lying comfortably on the bed. He smiled and walked over to her, brushing some of the hair out of her face. He was honestly surprised she was able to fall asleep, but then he saw the little packet of sleeping pills on the nightstand and he realized sleep hadn't come easily to her either.

It was ridiculous, and he knew she'd probably reprimand him in the morning, but he reached over her, pulled an unused pillow off her bed and tossed it on the ground next to the bed. She said no sleepovers, but she probably was more so meaning they shouldn't sleep in the same bed. He just wanted to be near her, and he'd accept any irritation she had in the morning.

He laid down on the floor as he heard her shift in the bed, her arm hanging limply off the bed. He raised one hand and delicately traced each digit of her hand, grateful for how warm she felt. He laid there counting blessings instead of sheep until he fell asleep.

"Mulder, Mulder," a voice called out to him. He opened his eyes and was blinded by the morning light, it took him a second to focus on the silhouette of Scully looking down at him from the bed, her hair hanging around her face as she smiled down at him. "Good morning, wanna tell me why you're laying on an imaginary trundle bed?"

He smiled up at her shyly, but was honest nonetheless. "I just wanted to hear you were alive."

Her own smile faltered and she reminded, "You knew I was fine."

"I did, but you almost weren't." She let her hand fall down so she could grab onto his, which he took like a lifeline. In a soft voice he admitted, "I don't know what I would've done if you had been killed last night."

She shook her head and traced patterns on the back of his hand with her thumb. "I don't want you to think about it. I'm alive, let's focus on that." He nodded and his neck cracked a bit in protest which made her laugh. "You could have woken me up you know."

"You looked so peaceful." Scully grinned and sat up, stretching a bit before leaning over the bed to look a him again. "We should get ready, we have to go back to the station once more before we can drive home." He agreed and made his way back to his room, indulging in one last glance back just to see her doing the same.

The station only took a few hours, just getting their full statements and asking a few miscellaneous questions before they left. They took turns driving and sleeping, the whole trip spent in relative silence. Now Mulder just sitting idly at his apartment, replaying the whirlwind of events that happened this weekend. To be honest, he just wanted her in his arms again. After almost losing her, being away was hard. It was already getting late, and he still had that knot of unsettled agitation was resting in the pit of his stomach. He could always just call, but he wanted to actually show her how glad he was she was alive. He was conflicted because he didn't want it to seem disingenuous or callous that he was going over to make a move after something so traumatic just happened, but at the same time he knew Scully would understand where he was coming from. At least that's what he told himself as he grabbed his car keys and jogged out the door.

Mulder stood outside her door longer than he was proud to admit. Even though he had no reason to be, he was incredibly anxious. This wasn't a role he was accustomed to, being so brazen about his desire, and he felt himself embodying his nerves. Scully has already done this plenty of times, and he knew he just needed to be half as brave as she was. Besides they already agreed; if one of them wasn't in the mood at the moment and turns the other down, there would be no hard feelings.

In a surge of fearlessness he raised his fist and knocked three times, which was quickly followed by an intense urge to run and hide. He didn't have much time to ruminate on the thought because he could hear the soft padding of Scully's feet as she walked towards the door. When everything fell still and he could practically feel her presence on the other side of the door, he looked into the peephole and offered a small smile.

Almost immediately, the locks slid out of place and the door opened to reveal a robe-clad Scully with damp, tousled hair, offering him a similar smile in return. She looked like an odd combination of both surprised at and expectant of his arrival to her apartment at practically midnight. She opened the door more and gave him a silent invitation to come inside that he took all too gratefully.

He watched as she locked the door again, knowing this wasn't a simple brief visit, and he followed her as she padded her way to the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?"

"I'll take whatever you're having," he replied, enjoying the way her eyes rolled at his indecision. She danced around her kitchen with years of experience and his eyes were glued to her the entire time as he leaned against the countertop.

It was obvious she'd just taken a shower by the way her hair was still dripping at the ends, but he loved seeing the other subtleties he rarely got to enjoy. Her face was lightly flushed from having just been washed and her freckles were more prominent than they usually were, no longer hidden from her makeup. She also looked a lot younger without her usual eyeliner and lipstick on, though he knew she'd shoot him for saying so. She had a naturally youthful appearance and that, mixed with her tiny stature, made people underestimate her. She'd told him that once in a moment of unabashed honesty, that she'd initially had a hard time being taken seriously in her fields, and he decided then never to make any jokes about her height or size, even if they were well-intended.

Even now, as he watched her stand on her tiptoes to reach a mug on the top shelf with her fingers fully extended, he bit back a smile. As she occasionally brisked past him, he would get a whiff of vanilla and honey, the lotion she used after taking a shower that he could see still absorbing into her skin, a glistening sheen left in its wake. She was in her natural form, only clothed by damp silk that was clutching to her figure, and she was exquisite.

All prior anxiety he had was washed away when she was around him. No decision was more obvious than him needing to be by her side. He needed to touch her like he needed his next breath. She stood at the sink, rinsing out a kettle when he walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach and leaning down so his face was nuzzling in the side of her head, his lips grazing her ear, "I missed you." He didn't know how to vocalize everything he was feeling in this moment, so he figured that would be a good place to start.

She didn't freeze at his touch, which he silently rejoiced over. Instead, her hands became a little more lethargic with their actions and she instinctively cocked her head a bit to the side, giving him more access. "We haven't been apart from each other in a long time, Mulder." He could hear the smile in her voice. She knew what he meant, but if she needed more reassurance he'd give it to her.

"I missed touching you." He was playing with the sash of her robe, not hard enough to pull it apart, but enough to make the fabric shift under his touch. "I missed feeling your skin." He couldn't see it, but the front of her robe had gaped open enough to where he could brush the underside of her breast with the pad of his thumb, which he did fondly, stroking back and forth against the soft swell.

The kettle was practically laying forgotten in the sink as she stood there pliant to his touch. "What else?" Her low voice rasped, egging him on.

"I missed kissing you," he murmured as he kissed the side of her throat, opening his mouth so he could suck lightly on the tender flesh, tracing lazy shapes with his tongue. Kissing her now would always remind him of that night on the motel bed, when souls were bared between two sets of lips. Scully gasped lightly and his smile broke the suction. He moved on, leaving the trace of saliva on her neck in his wake. "I miss the sound of your voice when you gasp and moan, especially when I'm the cause." As he said this, he trailed his hand deeper into the front of her robe, only stopping when his thumb lightly grazed over a hardened nipple. She almost whimpered, but she bit it back. She wanted this to continue more and she wouldn't give him such easy gratification. He had to earn it.

Her hands had completely abandoned the task at the sink, instead, they had moved to grip the counter top on either side of her. He extracted his hands from her robe and moved them to her hips, taking his time running them up her sides to her shoulders and descending them down her arms until his hands were engulfing hers, relishing the way her body moved beneath his palms At the same rate his hands moved down her arms, he got closer and closer to her, until he was lightly pressing her into the countertop, his erection prodding against her lower back. "I missed feeling your body, and the way we mold together."

He eased back a bit and scooped her up, setting her dazed form on the edge of the counter, so they were almost face to face. Her hooded eyes were intently focused on him and it sent a volt directly to his groin. He grabbed the sides of her face in his hands and took a step closer to her, noting the way her legs parted to grant him access. He could smell her arousal in the air and it was the best confidence boost he'd ever gotten. "I missed seeing your face when you cum."

Raw desire and animalistic lust passed over her face with that one and he decided to lay it on thicker. He moved so close that his lips were ghosting over hers, her sweet breath filling his open mouth with each exhale, and they were staring at each other with so much intensity it was charging the air. He closed the gap and pressed his pulsing erection straight onto her warm, inviting, barely covered center, and murmured, "I miss being inside you."

His hands shot from her face to her hips to keep her from falling off the counter due to the force of her lunging at him. Her lips were on his instantaneously and she only broke away to moan, "I missed you too," as her hands pawed at the buttons of his shirt, popping them off with an insatiable vigor. The kiss was much faster than their prior experience, but the passion was all the same. Two beings desperate to become one again.

Mulder took a slight step away so he could help Scully on her mission to get him out of his clothes. He undid the last few buttons and shucked his button up to the ground, followed by his t-shirt. She tried to pull him back to her as soon as his chest was bare, but he stayed still a moment to enjoy the sight in front of him. The sash of Scully's robe was still lightly tied, but the flaps of fabric had parted, revealing a strip of pink, soft flesh with two raised mounds that lead all the way down to Mulder's favorite little patch of glistening auburn hair. He glanced up to her face and saw her watching him in all her swollen-lipped glory.

He grabbed the sash and yanked it away from her, letting the knot come undone so the robe fully fell away. Mulder couldn't help but feel like he was opening up a present. It'd barely been anytime at all, especially since he'd gone six years without knowing what this was like, but he was so happy he was about to be with her again.

He took a step closer and locked his arms around her thighs, lifting her up off the counter making her yelp in surprise. She wrapped her legs around his hips as her arms wrapped around his neck, placing kisses to his cheek as he carried her down the hallway. He hoped she didn't find this presumptuous, but he didn't want to just fuck her on another countertop right now. He wanted to treat her right and do this on a bed for once. He kicked open the door to her bedroom and took the final few steps to lay her in the middle of the bed. Her arms fell on either side of her head and her legs were bent and parted, revealing her excitement to him. She squirmed on the bed a bit and he could have sworn she looked excited they made the move to the bed. This was a new step for them.

He eased down to his his knees on the hardwood floor before the bed, grabbing her legs and pulling her down the bed until she was flush with the edge. A smile passing his face when she immediately threw her thighs over his shoulder. He hadn't even touched her yet but she was already grabbing at the sheets. He placed his hands on her thighs as he glanced into the slice of heaven in his face right now. He loved that he could be this close to Scully, that she was so willing to do something this vulnerable with him. Something he loved doing with every fibre of his being.

Before he put his mouth on her, he blew a stream of cold air onto her dripping vulva followed by an exhale of hot air, making her squirm on the bed in anticipation. He opened his mouth and ran the tip of his tongue along her slit, barely parting her lips, but enough to get the tasted of her on his tongue. When the reached the top he placed a hard kiss to her clit before opening his mouth and sucking. "Fuck, Mulder," she gasped, arching her back. No matter what, he would always find Scully swearing insanely erotic.

He closed his lips tightly around her bud and flicked his tongue back and forth rapidly, her breathing almost immediately becoming rough and ragged. As he continued his oral exploration, he inched closer to the bed so he could alleviate some of the pressure in his jeans. As she groaned and cried out, he ground himself into the side of the bed, never letting up on his mission. Occasionally he would moan in pleasure, sending vibrations through her center.

When he sensed she was close, he let go of her clit, lapping his way down until he was at her opening, sliding his tongue into her and exploring her as much as he could, his nose grinding against her clit. She whined and started gyrating her hips against his face, which he thought was incredibly hot until he feared suffocation for a moment. He ran the flat of his tongue up her again until he reached where she wanted him most of all, resuming his sucking and tongue flicking until the words "please don't stop" became a chant.

As best he could, he glanced up and saw she was playing with her breasts as he did this, holding their weight in her hands and tweaking the nipples as he played with her. She was biting her bottom lip as her brows furrowed, chasing the orgasm that was almost in her grasp. He started thrusting against the bed a little harder now, knowing full well she'd feel it as his face bagan thrusting in time against her as he worked. She came within thirty seconds of him doing that, her whole body spasming as her legs shook on his shoulders.

He kept at it until she put a hand on his shoulder for him to stop. He looked up at her dazed and happy smile as he stood up and discarded his pants, underwear, and footwear. He then placed a knee on either side of her before dragging her back to the middle of the bed, then he put his knees in between her legs and nudged her to spread herself open to him, which she did immediately.

Even though his cock was bobbing in between her thighs, begging to be touched, he wanted to make her wait a little bit longer. So, he grabbed her hands, interlocking their fingers, as he held them down on either side of her head. He bent down a little so she had to look at him and cooed, "I heard you in your motel room that first night."

She smirked at him in defiance, "I heard you."

"I started because I was aroused by that kiss on the bed," he admitted. "What instigated you?"

"What makes you think I wasn't also aroused from the kiss?" she asked, trying to lift her hips so he'd graze her, but he deftly evaded her.

"Because you didn't start until you visited my room that second time." She shrugged with a smile and it made him lean down closer. "I think you liked watching me touch myself, especially because you knew you were the cause." As he said this, he angled his hips so that he prodded against her, not quite slipping inside but making her crave more.

"You don't know how much I wanted to help right then and there," she admitted, trying to sink herself onto him, but he pulled away before you could.

"But you did, I came to those little sounds of yours on the other side of the wall."

"As I came to you," she smirked coquettishly. Then she squeezed his hands with her own and begged, "Please don't make me wait anymore, Mulder. I want this so-ah, god." If she asked, she would receive. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, he slid himself all the way in, feeling her walls clamp down against him.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, remembering she said she was sore last time. It'd been a while since then, but he still wanted to ask.

"No, please don't hold back, you don't need to be gentle," she rasped.

He started thrusting against her like he was going to the metronome of his heartbeat. Words couldn't describe how much he missed being inside her. He loved the way her opening clung onto him with every pull outwards and how taut she was when he thrust back in. Her hands were still under his so she wasn't clinging onto him like she normally did. Instead, she grabbed his hands with a white knuckled grip and arched her body against his own.

He loved the feeling of her bare torso against his own, just the pure intimacy of skin to skin contact felt amazing. He leaned down and licked both her nipples, lavishing them with attention from his tongue. She gasped and locked her ankles tight around his back, trying to keep him as close as possible. He squeezed her thighs against him to get his attention and he let go of her nipple to give it to her.

Her face was covered with pure lust as she commanded, "Kiss me." He slowed down his thrusts so their faces wouldn't bash together as much as he descended on her. He let go of her hands and slid them under her neck and head instead, holding her as he placed his lips to hers. Instantaneously she deepened the kiss and grabbed his neck. Her tongue slid over his with familiar comfort as she pressed her lips against his.

He kept his slow, languid thrusts, now focusing on the angle of his hips and gauging his success by the way her breath stuttered against his face. Sometimes when he was buried to the hilt, he would just grind pubic bone against pubic bone. One time he did that she accidentally bit his lip slightly trying to suppress a moan. "Sorry," she laughed shakily into his mouth.

"Don't be," he grinned, recapturing one of her full lips in between his own. She started harshly bucking her hips up against his own and he knew she was coming up on another orgasm. He released her lip and kissed down her chin to her neck, placing an open mouth kiss on her pulse point. He could feel her heart beating rapidly against his tongue and he slid a hand down her abdomen into her auburn curls before hitting her sweet spot, to see if he could get it to beat faster.

He felt her gasp as he circled two digits around her swollen throbbing clit. "Faster," she commanded. He did exactly as she requested and he could feel her becoming more and more desperate. He pulled back so he could watch her closely once more. She stared at him with glassy eyes as he mixed his hip angles with more pressure to her knub. "Ngh, ngh, M-Mulder, god you're so hot." Her words went straight to his cock, Scully was beyond complementary and appreciative in bed and it always did something for him. That amongst other things.

He sped up his thrusts a little more, one of his hands moving to grab her hip, and her brows furrowed and her eyes rolled back. It was the final straw for him and he thrust into her hard and deep a few times, cumming as he growled, "Fuck, Scull-y," drawing out the 'y' between gritted teeth.

He kept his eyes open as he came and he felt her clamp down around him as her own orgasm took over, triggered from his own. They watched each other the entire time, reveling in their mutual pleasure. When they were done, he slid out of her and laid at her side to catch his breath. She turned on her side to face him as she did the same, her head resting on the bend of his arm.

Her eyes were closed as her breathing calmed and he watched as her whole body seemed to relax, putting him at his own state of contentment. He reached down and grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it up over her, so she wasn't just naked to the night air. She didn't do anything except burrow a little closer to him and he realized she was falling asleep fast.

He wanted to stay. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer, falling into a deep sleep with her by his side. But he knew he couldn't. When it was at his place, she always made a point not to stay too long after. It was one of those things that made her comfortable and she was just being responsible. He'd hate to overstay his welcome and make it look like he didn't respect her wishes. Especially being he came over in the dead of night because he was desperate to see her.

He gently slid out of her bed, trying to stifle a laugh when she grunted in displeasure, her hand grabbing at the side of the bed he had previously occupied. He slid on the bottom half of his clothes that had been discarded at the end of her bed, but before he left to find the remainder of his clothes and head home, he tiptoed around the bed and placed a kiss to her temple. "Sweet Dreams, Scully," he whispered.

For once, he had sweet dreams of his own, returning home to fantasies of what it would be like if they could have fallen asleep in each others arms. Little did he know, Scully was doing the exact same thing across town.

 **Let me know if you liked it! This is my first time really, really writing a multi-chapter fic, so I'm still learning what it's like to write a continuing plot. I hope you don't care that there are some plot point I skim over more than others, I'm mostly just concerned about their relationship, lol. Thanks for reading! -Nicole (Tumblr/Twitter: gaycrouton)**


	6. Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

**Author's Note: WOW, you guys are all so nice! The feedback has truly meant the world to me. Thank you, thank you. I wanted to do a fun, lighthearted chapter, and I hope you guys like it! This is a trope that's been done time and time again, but who doesn't love a "Mulder and Scully have to attend a formal event together" fic?**

She won't lie, she really thought he was going to stay last night. She was so comfortable, she couldn't help but collapse on him and drift off to the sound of his slowed breathing. The thought fills her with the sentimental 'butterflies in stomach' feeling that she hadn't experienced since she was a teen. Probably because she was certain if he tried to stay last night, she would have absolutely let him.

Instead, she watched through her drooping eyelids as he collected his clothes and pressed a sweet kiss to her temple. The sound of him easing the door gently shut was the last thing she remembered. When she woke up this morning, the only traces he'd been there were the remnants of him on her inner thighs, an achy body, and the unmistakable smell of 'Mulder' on her sheets. _Her sheets._ She wondered if he recognized the significance of last night. He actually came onto her, it was their first time at her place, and they'd finally done it in an actual bed. Not the side of a counter top, not a kitchen table, not an old couch, an actual bed.

God, she felt so rejuvenated. She hated admitting how much having sex with Mulder helped her stress level, but it really did. As she got ready for work, she couldn't help but feel relaxed and she swore she looked like she was glowing. Then again, it might just be Mulder's dramatism rubbing off on her.

When she grabbed her bag to leave, she caught sight of a brown square on the floor of her kitchen. She went over to examine it and immediately recognized it as Mulder's billfold that must've fallen out of his pocket during their makeout session in the kitchen. Out of curiosity, she opened it and freely smiled at the old picture of Mulder on his driver's licence. He got it back in '91, a little before they met and he looked like a little boy comparatively. She opened the flap part and saw he had seventeen dollars, a loose shirt button, and a coupon to K-Mart.

When she was about to close it, she noticed a little tab peeking out from beneath his license. She pulled it out delicately and her eyes widened at the image. She recognized it as a photo from Christmas a few years ago. She was wearing a green sweater and beaming at the camera. She was curious how he got ahold of it until she remembered it was one of the photos broadcasted during her abduction. She flipped it over and saw "Dana, Christmas '93" in her mother's cursive scrawl. She must've given it to Mulder to help and he held onto the original. It'd been years, but here it was, bent and worn in the billfold he always had on him. Did he forget or did he like having it in there? She decided to keep the fact she knew to herself and she put the wallet in her purse.

She didn't want to make something out of nothing, but she couldn't help but notice Mulder was always in a cheery mood the morning after one of their rendezvous. Not that Mulder ever really had a bad attitude in the morning, he just seemed less on-edge than he normally did. In other words, he was less likely to shove a picture of a dead cow in her face as soon as she walked in the door.

Today he was reclined in his chair reading a case file when she came in. "Good morning, Scully," he greeted from over the paper.

"Morning," she greeted back. She set her jacket on the back of her chair and set her bag by her seat before remembering what was in it. "Hey, Mulder," she called out to get his attention.

"Hmm?"

She handed the billfold across their desk and rambled, "Uh, you left this at my apartment last night. It was, um, on the kitchen floor." Inexplicably she realized this was the first time their arrangement was ever brought up in the workplace setting and it felt oddly reminiscent of swearing in church.

Mulder let out a relieved sigh and grabbed it from her, "Thank god, I was worried I'd have to go to the DMV." She watched as he opened it and checked to make sure a little photo was securely tucked away before putting it in the pocket of his dress pants. "Thanks for bringing it back to me."

"No problem-" She was interrupted by the ringing of the office phone. Mulder picked it up and gave a few 'yes sir''s and a 'yeah she's here' before hanging up the phone and motioning to her that they had to go. "What was that?" she asked following his lead.

"Skinner wanted to move our meeting up a little earlier to get it over with," he sighed. Anytime an agent shot his weapon and there was a fatality, there had to be a report filed followed by an in person meeting. They weren't worried, but these meeting were usually a little more rigorous than normal. Skinner was in a good mood when they went into his office, so they presumed it might be easier than anticipated.

He asked them the routine questions about the case before eventually asking, "So, Agent Mulder, what was it that made you discharge your weapon?"

"We were talking to Sheriff Peterson when a twig snapped and startled Peterson, making him discharge his own weapon. He had been aiming at Agent Scully the whole time." Mulder stated clinically detached, as if he hadn't needed to sleep on her motel room floor to comfort himself.

"So you presumed he had shot Agent Scully when his weapon discharged?" Skinner pressed.

"Yes."

"And you didn't check to see if she was actually hit?"

"No. I just saw him shoot and reacted immediately," Mulder shrugged.

For a moment she was afraid he might end up getting in trouble for this. In all official technicality, he completely disregarded protocol and acted brash. However, Skinner just nodded in complete understanding. "And that's what you saw, Agent Scully?"

"Yes. Peterson did shoot, and the bullet hit the tree next to my head. I completely see Mulder's rational. If I were in his shoes I would have presumed the bullet hit me too," she explained.

"Are you both okay?" he asked seriously, momentarily dropping the professionalism and asking as a friend.

"We were shaken, but we're doing well," she answered for the both of them, Mulder nodding along in agreement.

"I'm glad to hear it." He signed off on a few papers, had them do the same, and then closed the file. When Mulder started standing up to leave, Skinner quickly motioned for him to sit back down. "I just have one more thing I need to ask you both."

"What is it, sir?" Scully prompted.

"Have you guys heard what's going on tonight?" he asked in a tone that implied he already knew the answer. He sighed as they shook their heads and continued, "An important director head is retiring and the bureau is throwing him a retirement party."

"Oh, that's nice," Mulder responded, trying to avoid the inevitable.

"We're asking that all departments send someone as a representative, for solidarity and support and whatever. I figured since you two are attached at the hip, I might as well force you both to go instead of just one on behalf of the X-Files." If only he knew how attached at the hip they really were. Mulder opened his mouth, no doubt to make up an excuse, but Skinner beat him to it. "I know it's last minute, but it's not like I ever reprimand you for the other bureau officiated events you skip."

Scully saw the frown on Mulder's face and figured she'd try her best. "Sir, Agent Mulder and I were actually considering taking a-"

"Listen, you guys will have to either go to this for a few hours or attend the annual team building seminars you conveniently are always sick for," he demanded, throwing the tail end of the comment towards Mulder.

Without hesitation, Mulder stood up and conceded, "Absolutely, we'll see you there Skin-man."

Skinner sighed in amused exasperation and offered a bit of solace. "Hey, since this is most likely so last minute for you both, you can have the rest of the day off to do any preparation you might need. You also deserve it after your last case."

"Thank you, sir." She met Mulder at the door and walked down the hallway with him towards the elevator. "That went well."

"I think so too, up until the part where we have to go to a mind numbing social event tonight," he sighed. She found these events trivial, Mulder found them intolerable. She understood where he was coming from, but there wasn't much she could do to alleviate the stress. She tried the only thing that came to mind.

"Well at least we get to go together. I don't know about you, but that makes it better for me. We can just stay to ourselves and have our own fun. Aside from the glares and teasing we'll most definitely get, it'll just be like we're hanging out." She was happy she said it when she saw his lips quirk up.

"Want me to pick you up tonight?" he asked.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Hey, do you mind if I take Skinner up on that offer for the day off?" She hadn't had a chance to take a shower and she didn't know how long it would take her to get ready.

"No, go ahead. I think I will too." She thanked him as they parted ways. She knew most of her preparation would consist of her dinking around in her apartment, so she just went straight there. It wasn't like she'd never attended something like this before, she just did it so infrequently that there was no set routine.

When she got home, she treated herself to a luxury she didn't usually had time for and actually took a bath, letting herself simply relax and soak in the tub. She even went so far as to indulge herself with some bath oil and her favorite body wash. When she got out, she put on her robe and started blow drying her hair. It was at that awkward length where not a lot could be done with it. To make it look like she did something more than come home and changed clothes, she took a bit more time to lightly curl her hair into waves.

Makeup was another realm she rarely spent too much time on. She didn't feel like spending too much effort on it, so she went with just a bit more eyeliner than she usually used with an eyeshadow she'd been told would compliment her eyes. She added some mascara, some blush, and a pale lipstick and called it good.

After she was satisfied with her makeup, she waltzed over to her closet and brought out the three dresses she owned, laying them out on her bed before scrutinizing them. Aside from maybe a handful of people, she wasn't particularly fond of anyone who was going to be at the party. She didn't really want to parade around in a dress in front of people who referred to her as "Mrs. Spooky" or "frigid bitch."

While the first white dress was long, it had no back, which meant no bra. It also had no straps and the fabric was extremely thin, which meant if it was cold she was out of luck. The second plum option covered her a little more, it would have been a perfect option, but the neckline plunged dangerously low. The last option was an emerald green color she'd never actually worn before, but it looked quite short on the bed. She rarely went to any sort of formal events, and she could barely remember the last time she went out on a date. These dresses were purchased _years_ ago when she either was desperate for a personal boost of confidence or she was talked into by Melissa. That fact alone reiterated how long these had been collecting dust at the back of her closet.

Her pondering was cut short by a soft knocking at her front door. "Come in," she yelled into the hallway of her apartment, not moving from her spot in front of the bed. She heard the door open followed by Mulder's loud footsteps tentatively exploring the apartment, no doubtedly trying to find her. "I'm in the bedroom," she called out. His footsteps now moved with purpose and he was at the door frame in no time.

She turned to greet him, but was caught off guard at the sight of Mulder dressed in a black tuxedo with a long black tie. It would be lie to say Mulder didn't dress nicely on a normal occasion, his work attire consisted solely of nice suits and crisp button ups, the only atrocity in his wardrobe was his tie collection, but this was just above and beyond. He's the walking definition of what little girls imagined when they play with a Ken doll, immaculately handsome, sinfully debonair. "Mulder, you look- you look fantastic," she complimented. There was a series of other adjectives she wanted to use, but 'fantastic' seemed like the safest. He looked flattered nonetheless.

"As do you, though I must say I find your choice of formal wear a little interesting," he replied, letting his eyes scan her body with appreciation and amusement. His attention made her remember what she had been doing in the first place and she dismissed him with a friendly chuckle, resisting the urge to readjust her robe to be a bit more modest.

"I'm having a hard time choosing what to wear," she admitted. The sentence felt like a girlish frivolity on her lips. In a field hellbent on repressing any ounce of femininity she has, she rarely got to indulge in anything like this.

"I don't see any flaws in what you're wearing right now." She didn't even need to turn around to know a playful smirk was plastered on his face. She also knew they were both more than aware of what happened last time he saw her wearing this robe, and what they did in this room shortly thereafter. The dull ache she'd been feeling all day in her groin was reminder enough of last night's jaunt.

Rolling her eyes, she retorted, "I don't imagine Skinner would appreciate it too much if I showed up looking like this."

She didn't even hear him move, but suddenly he was right behind her, his breath tickling the nape of her neck. "I have no doubts in my mind, Skinner and every agent in the room would appreciate it greatly."

Her breath caught when he raised a hand to play with the collar of her robe, touching the silky fabric and moving down her chest inch my inch. His fingers had barely curved under the flap, just barely grazing her, but it felt like her skin was on fire. When he got to the fabric where the flaps met above her breasts, she grabbed his hand in her own, stopping him from going any further. This just wasn't the time. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed the fingers lightly and whispered, "Not right now." She let go and he retracted his hand without further comment.

"These are just the only formal dresses I own, but I don't know if any of them are appropriate for a work event with all of our colleagues and superiors," she declared in her normal voice, trying to bring the conversation back to something a bit more tame. "I don't even remember what they look like on me."

Mulder stepped around her and picked up the dress nearest to him, the white one, and held it out to her as he sat on the bed. "Then let's have a fashion show." Scully cocked an eyebrow at him and he gave more of an explanation, "Nothing will refresh your memory like trying them on, I can help gauge if they're appropriate or not, and I'll get to experience what it'd be like at a teenage girl's slumber party."

She glared at him suspiciously, but took the dress out of his hands regardless. "Fine," she conceded. She turned around and stepped into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door. She slipped off her robe, leaving her in just her black thong, and slid the flimsy dress up her body, tucking her head into the halter top.

The fabric at her chest gathered a bit, but it didn't do much to cover the fact she was braless. Especially since her entire back, nearly down to the crack of her ass was bare. She rolled her eyes, feeling ridiculous that she was going to parade in front of Mulder in such a risque dress. She opened the door and and peaked just her head out. Mulder was sitting on the bed, studying the various objects around the room. "Don't laugh at me, okay?" she requested.

"Never," he reassured sincerely.

She walked a few feet out into the room and bit back a smile when he wolf-whistled appreciatively. "This one is an absolute no. I can't imagine ever wearing it out of the house."

"What? Why? You look really nice," he exclaimed. She walked a little closer and twirled around, "Oh, okay yeah, I'm going to have to agree with you on that one."

"A little more skin than anyone there needs to see," she stated, leaning down and getting the plum dress off the bed.

"It does look _really_ good on you though," he murmured in a deep voice.

"Thank you," she stated, trying to pretend like that sultry tone didn't do anything for her. This was their platonic time. This was just good ol' Mulder and her spending time together as friends. She couldn't see him as the Mulder that pounded her into the mattress he was currently sitting on less than twenty four hours ago.

She didn't even know if it was a good idea for them to have sex after this shindig tonight. It would make it seem too much like a date; them dressing up, basically going out to eat and, most likely, dance. If he had brought her flowers it would have really just solidified it. Then again, she was getting ahead of herself. No one had specifically made the plan for tonight, even if it was obvious they were both thinking about it.

When she leaned back with the dress in hand, she saw his gaze laser-focused on her chest, and she knew her nipples were hard against the fabric. "If I do ever end up wearing it out in public, I'll definitely need to have a set of bandaids on me," she joked, earning a hearty laugh from Mulder that accompanied her to the bathroom.

She blew out a long breath and set the dress on the sink. She glanced at herself in the mirror and confirmed her suspicion that she was, indeed, blushing. She silently damned her fair, irish skin, as she eased herself out of the white dress. She hung it back up, letting the hanger rest on the shower rod, before putting her hands in the bottom of the plum dress and hoisting it over her body. She tugged the tight fabric down over her curves and untucked her hair from the neckline when it was finally settled over her body. The hemline came to her knees, and the sleeves were long, but the neckline plunged down to right above her belly button. It exposed a good sliver of her torso and the full sides of her breasts. God, she couldn't imagine ever being bold enough to but something like this.

She fixed her hair, lifted her breasts up a little bit in her dress, and opened up the door to see Mulder, once again, analyzing her room. She supposed he only really got a downward facing view of it last night, so it was understandable. She walked out and silently patted herself on the back for the way his eyes widened when he saw her. "It's better than the last, but still not ideal," she said, frivolously fixing the hair she already knew was in place.

"If you wore that, I think the X-Files might get funding, people would claim they believe in aliens, we might even get moved to a higher office just so people could have a chance to look at you more." He was teasing her, but he wasn't all together kidding.

She laughed, but tried to keep it reigned in, lest her tits fell out of her dress. "Well, I don't know about that."

"I do. Does that one have a back?" he asked.

She did a little twirl for him as she went to grab the last dress off the bed. "Luckily it has a back, can't say the same for a front."

He smirked at her and declared, "This is fun, I'm enjoying myself."

She rolled her eyes and went back to the bathroom, but before she shut the door, she peeked her head out and told him, "Hey, you can look around my room if you want, you don't have to just sit on the bed." He thanked her and she ducked back into the bathroom. It was only going to take a few seconds anyway.

She really, really hoped this next dress worked. It was one thing to prance around in front of Mulder in something like this, she honestly would rather wear a suit and have everyone continue thinking she was uptight than do it in front of all the childish male agents. Actually, wearing a suit sounded really tempting, she could emanate the Ellen DeGeneres style. That's it, if this didn't work, she was going with a suit.

She pulled the plum dress over her head and hung it up next to the white one. She grabbed the green one in her arms and actually examined it. The long sleeves and bodice were lace, the sleeves see through, the bodice opaque. The top half was form fitting and the bottom half flared out a bit, not excessively, but it wasn't tight like the last one. She unzipped the back and stepped into it, sliding it up her body until it came to her collarbone, her entire shoulder and neck area were completely bare except for her dainty cross necklace. She looked down and it went to her mid-upper thigh, _not bad._

She reached around and felt around for the zipper. She got it in her grasp, but she had a hard time bringing it all the way up. With a resigned sigh, she went out into her room so she could ask for Mulder's help. Except, when she got out there she didn't find him immediately. "Mulder?"

"Right here." She jumped when his voice rang out from beside her. She turned and saw he was turning the pages of something he'd pulled off of her bookshelf. She took a step closer and groaned when she saw what was in his hands; an old photo album her mom had put together.

"Mulder, that's so embarrassing," she groaned. She took a step closer and saw he was currently indulging himself with her teenage years, which meant he'd already passed embarrassing baby photos and her awkward brace-face era.

"Scully, were you a punk?" he asked, disbelief heavy in his voice.

"What makes you think that?" she asked back.

He tilted the photo album at her and pointed to a faded Kodak with an entertained expression. It was a photo of her with her hair a frizzy mess, wearing all black, rock and roll shirt included, and sporting heavy eyeliner. She also had her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she flipped off the camera. Scully looked up at Mulder and innocently shrugged, "I may or may not have went through a phase."

He grinned sweetly at her, "You are just full of surprises Dana Katherine Scully." She smiled at his use of her full name, but she was distracted by the red neon lights of her alarm clock.

"Shit, Mulder, we're going to be late. This dress works, but I need you to zip me up." She turned around and left herself prone for his assistance while he bookmarked his page in the photo album and set it on the shelf.

"This one's my favorite," he murmured as he took a step closer, placing one hand on her hip while the other brought the zipper up her back. He had his finger bent so that his knuckle would graze her skin as he did so.

"Thanks, I was worried it'd be a little short," she replied casually, knowing that he could see the goosebumps on her neck as a result of his touch. He patted her back when he was done and she made her way to the full length mirror.

"It's just a little shorter than your pantsuits, not at all indecent," he comforted, stepping behind her so he could watch her through the mirror.

Feeling his eyes on her the whole time, Scully made sure the sleeves were even, pulling them a little down her arms so her shoulders were revealed and the cuffs were at her wrists, before adjusting her breasts in the dress once again. She made sure her makeup was still in place, along with her hair, and then she stood so she could examine her side profile. When she smoothed the fabric over her stomach and butt she caught Mulder's amused smirk in the mirror. "What?" she asked curiously.

"I just think what you're doing is cute," he shrugged.

She normally would have shot him a look at his word choice of 'cute', but she knew he hadn't meant it demeaningly. "What? Making sure I don't look a mess?" She reached over and grabbed her handbag before turning around to face him.

He shook his head playfully and sincerely reassured, "No, that you think you ever could." Before she could respond, he was walking back out into the living area, letting her have time to swallow the smile that threatened to break her face. He could really surprise her with his sweetness.

He was apparently full of surprises. As she rounded the corner of the hallway, she was met with the sight of Fox Mulder holding out a bouquet of white flowers to her. "Oh Mulder," she gasped, drawing out his name. The roles had reversed and now it was he who was trying to hide a blush. He was probably nervous she wouldn't react well to this, frankly, romantic gesture. She was caught off guard, but she wanted him to know she appreciated it greatly. "They're beautiful, thank you so much." She sent him a beaming smile as she took the bouquet from him and inhaled the flower's scent.

"Um, yeah, I just passed by a flower shop on my way here," he explained while she searched the kitchen for a vase. She thought it was adorable that he seemed to be at a loss for words, and that he also seemed to forget she'd made the journey between their apartments more times than she could count. There was no flower shop on that route. She found a vase and filled it with water, quickly freeing the flowers of their paper encasing and spreading them out to flourish. "They're gardenias," he informed from his place on the other side of the counter.

 _Damn it_. Mulder, the man who could nativagte the english language with absolute power and fluidity, was speaking to her through the language of flowers and she had no idea what it meant. _Of course_ Mulder would be the type to spend hours in a flower shop, learning all the meanings, just so he could pick out the one he thought was perfect. "I'm rusty on floral connotations. What do gardenias symbolize?"

He looked almost relieved when she admitted she didn't know, but instead of telling her he just shrugged and said, "I'm not sure, actually." _Liar._

She decided not to press him now, and instead just made a joke. Mulder really was rubbing off on her. "I feel like I'm going to prom," she laughed, walking towards the door.

"I actually never went," he revealed, making her stop dead in her tracks so she could spin around and face him.

"You didn't go to your prom?" She asked incredulously. She'd seen photos of young, boyish Mulder. He was one of those aggravating people who seemed to age perfectly at every stage of life. Hell, if seventeen year old Mulder walked up and hit on her now, she'd still get flustered. She couldn't imagine the girls at his school not fawning over him.

He shrugged self-consciously, "I wasn't very popular in school. It also wasn't really my scene." She loved Mulder so much, she had a hard time remembering that some people found him weird or spooky. The thought that this sweet, loving man was ever ostracized or lonely broke her heart. What was school like for him? Was he the intense kid who thought his sister was abducted by aliens? Their adult peers weren't even kind about that, she couldn't image the cruelty of youth.

Instead of asking more questions about something that'd make him uncomfortable, she reached out and grabbed his hand and took it into her own. "That's a shame. You look so handsome dressed up like this." He squeezed her hand and she tugged on his as a reminder they had to get going. "Let's go give you the weirdest, pseudo, decade-late, work official prom ever."

"Hey, Scully. Wanna make out under the bleachers later too?" he teased as they left the apartment.

The ride there was relatively uneventful, just a lot of singing along to the radio. Mulder actually had a beautiful singing voice that he was ironically shy about as he tried to compliment her horrible, off-tune attempts. " _It's endearing,"_ he implored, " _It'd be frightening if you were good at everything."_ Sometimes she tried to just hum along so she could listen to his sultry baritone, but, as soon as he would catch on, he'd get adorably flustered.

They parked and went up to the convention center with anticipatory dread. They were never popular at FBI functions, let alone off-the-clock ones. A pact was made that they would just stick together, smile at Skinner to show they came, and try to have fun. "Hey Spooky!" a voice shouted in the distance. _Try_ to have fun.

They stopped and turned towards the source of the sound and were met with an older agent from the financial crimes unit. They worked with him once, but his name escaped her, just as Mulder's name apparently escaped him. "Oh, and the lovely Agent Scully," he exclaimed, taking her hand and raising the back of it to his lips to press a clammy kiss.

"It's nice to see you again," Scully responded curtly, gently retrieving her hand from his grasp.

"I'm not used to seeing you two leave the basement. To what do we owe the honor?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her.

"Mandatory obligation," Mulder snapped, distracting the man's appreciation from going lower than her collarbones.

"Well, the main event's on the twelfth floor and the name tags are at a table before the main hall," he informed, gesturing towards a table at the other end of the room. "Oh, and there's an open bar too. You guys should indulge, it might help ya loosen up," he teased, slapping both Mulder and Scully on the bicep as he moved to harass someone else.

As they made their way to the party and the name badge table, they were stopped a total of seven times; three times were people making fun of them by asking if they'd seen an alien yet, twice were men pretending like one conversation with Scully in the past was enough to warrant a greeting, once was someone letting Mulder know he cleaned up well, and once was someone congratulating them on being such a beautiful couple. All in all, this night couldn't get over fast enough.

"Agents Scully and Mulder of The X-Files, I need to pick up our name tags," she told the woman on the other side of the booth. Mulder was off securing a table for them as she dealt with the social interactions.

"You look nice, Agent Scully," the woman replied while shifting through the pile of tags.

"Thank you," Scully beamed appreciatively. It was the first compliment she got without a leer accompanying it.

"It's nice to see you calm. You're usually so uptight. A lot of us worry you never have any fun," the woman added, handing her the name tags.

Of course it was too good to be true. Scully's smile faltered in irritation and she gave a less enthusiastic, "Thank you," and made her way towards Mulder in the corner. She didn't know why, but it always irritated her that people thought she was uptight. She wasn't even that much of a stickler for rules, she just preferred not to put herself in danger or disregard a protocol that might affect the outcome of a case. Sue her.

She eased into the chair next to Mulder's in a deserted corner of the room that just so happened to be right next to the bar. "Mulder," she prompted, unsticking his tag and adhering it to his lapel. "Do you think I'm uptight?"

Mulder seemed surprised by the apparent randomness of her question, and appeared to take her seriously as he unstuck her tag, placing it on the upper breast of her dress. "No, I don't think you're uptight. You're just professional. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged and started folding the translucent scrap of plastic in her hands. "Everyone here thinks I'm a priss. The woman at the desk made a comment about it."

"Do you think I'm a loser?" he asked, taking her off guard. She hated it when he was self-deprecatory.

"No, no. Mulder, I don't think you are, and I am positive that you are far from a loser," she reassured, only to notice he looked like he was trying to make a point.

"Well, I know for a fact everyone here thinks I'm a loser, but what they think doesn't matter. If you think I should disregard what they think, so should you," he stated simply.

"You're right," she conceded. "I just hate having to go to things like this." She used to be better at covering up her irritation. On a normal basis she would suck it up and deal with it without complaining. Maybe because in the past it was simply deal with it or spend time alone in her apartment. Now she actually had something she would rather be doing, _or someone,_ but instead she had to endure faux pleasantries.

Mulder nodded in agreement, she already knew he felt the same. "Want to play a game to make it more tolerable?" he asked out of the blue.

She snorted at his suggestion, "Like what? Play hangman on the tablecloth?"

"It's a free bar, I was thinking more along the lines of a drinking game," he smirked.

To be honest, the thought of drinking was more than appealing, but she didn't want Mulder to do it just to make her happy. "Mulder, you don't drink."

"I do too, you've seen me drink beer in my apartment. Come on, Scully. It'd be fun," he prompted, nudging her on the shoulder. She smiled at him and nodded her agreement, laughing as he jumped up to get the first set of drinks.

He came back with two large glasses of red wine, setting one down in front of her as he slid into his chair. "So, what are the rules?" she asked.

"I think we should take a drink anytime someone refers to us as 'The Spookys'," he offered.

"That's a good one. I think we should drink anytime we hear the word 'alien'," she added.

"We should take a drink anytime someone hits on you," Mulder teased, making her roll her eyes with mirth.

"I think we should take a drink anytime a secretary flirtatiously greets you," she teased back.

Mulder laughed and shook his head, "Fine, but that's not going to happen."

"Hello, Agent Mulder. You look handsome in that suit," a blonde receptionist purred as she passed by the table.

"Hey Andrea-oh that was not flirtatious," he exclaimed as his attention focused on Scully, who was currently gloating over the edge of her glass as she took her first drink.

"You look so handsome in that suit," she mimicked in the woman's breathy, low voice, making Mulder laugh in concession.

"Alright, fine," he admitted, taking a drink of his own sangria.

"Drink anytime they play a suggestive love song even though this is a federal office event," she suggested.

"Nice one," he smirked. "Anything else?"

"I think that'll be good enough to get us moderately buzzed."

Little did she anticipate they'd get buzzed in the first half an hour alone. She really hadn't realized how many songs were so suggestive, nor did she anticipate they'd really be played at what was supposed to be a formal function. She also hadn't realized Mulder took any man saying 'hello' to her as them flirting. She'd be lying if she said the way he begrudgingly glared during the interactions wasn't endearing. As if she had eyes for anyone but him.

After the first glass, she was feeling pretty warm. She normally would have stopped there, but she was having a fun time with Mulder. They were laughing, joking, it was like they were actually on a date. After the second glass, she was definitely tipsy, and so was Mulder, who was just a little more smiley and happy than usual. "Scully, do you wanna dance?" he asked as she took the last swig of her second glass.

"Mulder, I'm not dancing to _Too Close_ by Next," she laughed. " 'specially not in front of this crowd." She wasn't slurring and she sent a silent prayer for that, because her body was feeling fuzzy and she knew a goofy smile was plastered to her face regardless how much she tried to hide it.

"Will you dance with me when it's over?" he pried, poking her arm lightly.

She looked at him and was met with puppy dog eyes and a pouty bottom lip. Her weakness. She heard the song coming to an end, so she stood up and offered her hand to an all-too-pleased Mulder. "Okay, but I only know how to slow dance."

"That's fine by me," he beamed, just glad she said yes in the first place. They walked out in the middle of the dancefloor, crowded with assorted agents who had also been indulging in the open bar. Scully turned to Mulder and wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the edges of his hair as he snaked his arms around her waist. They swayed in silence as they waited for the next song so come on, trying their drunken best to be nonchalant about the intimacy of this moment. The twigy whistle came over the radio and Scully couldn't help but laugh. "Is this the Elton John song from the _Lion King?_ "

Mulder grinned when he recognized the tune. "What better to follow up a song about erections than a Disney love song?" She knew the alcohol was affecting her because that comment made her giggle, actually giggle, much to Mulder's obvious delight. To hide it from him, she pressed her face against his torso, letting her cheek rest against his chest as they swayed. She claimed she knew how to slow dance, but in all actuality, this is what she meant; she knew how to wrap her arms around someone and shift her weight from one foot to the other as she swayed, sometimes being fancy enough to do it in a circle.

Luckily Mulder didn't seem to be apt to change their pace, instead, simply resting his chin on the crown of her head as he rubbed circles with his thumb on the fabric of her dress. She felt a dull vibration on the top of her head and it took her a second to realize it was Mulder softly singing along to the song, just low enough for her to be able to hear. It vaguely amused her that he knew all the lyrics to this song, but she was more focused on how romantic it was hearing Mulder essentially sing a love song to her.

The song was probably only three minutes long, but this moment felt like an eternity and she wished it'd last longer. Every time he got to the chorus, his hands would tighten on her and he'd hold her closer. When the song was over, she adjusted her head so she could look up at him with a beaming smile, only to see the same expression reflected back at her. "You have a beautiful voice, Mulder," she murmured.

"I know something more beautiful," he murmured back, nuzzling himself against her temple.

Their moment of serenity was interrupted by a couple asking to trade partners, a couple she was positive regretted their question as soon as they received a set of death glares. They accepted politely, even though it was the last thing either of them wanted to do, and they separated begrudgingly. She gave Mulder one last fleeting look before mentally trying to sober up a little before this interaction.

The guy she was dancing with was some just-out-of-college lab geek she vaguely remembered seeing around before whereas Mulder was with an older agent near retirement age who faintly always smells of mothballs. She smiled politely as she placed her hands purposefully on the kids shoulders, establishing this dance would have more distance than the one she just had with Mulder. The kid placed his hands on her hips and she swore it might have been the first time he ever touched a woman before. "A-agent Scully, you look absolutely beautiful tonight," he gulped out. Part of her took pity on the kid's nerves.

"Thank you, that's very sweet of you to say. I'm sorry, could you remind me of your name?" she asked as _Nothing Compares 2 U_ ironically started playing.

He withdrew one hand and shoved it between them in an awkward attempt for a hand shake, "Evan Miller, forensic lab technician."

She repressed a laugh and detached one of her own hands to shake his politely. "Nice to officially meet you," she answered, attempting to match his enthusiasm. He was approximately the same height as her, so it was easy to see Mulder in the distance laughing at her situation. He was in his own predicament, the woman had her arms wrapped around his waist as she leaned her cheek on his chest, much as Scully had done, except this woman looked like she may have actually fallen asleep. Mulder just kept his hands on her shoulders as he swayed, occasionally mouthing the words to the song to her melodramatically.

"So was that guy your date?" Evan asked, drawing her attention back.

"What?" she asked, unsure she heard him.

"That tall guy you were dancing with. Are you guys a couple?" He repeated.

"Oh, no-no. He's my partner, Agent Mulder. We work on the X-Files together. We don't attend functions like this often, but we were asked by A.D. Skinner to come," she explained.

"The X-Files?" he exclaimed in that annoying way people always seemed to do to her. "Wait, so you're Ms. Spooky?"

"That is what I've immaturely been nicknamed, yes," she answered evenly. She didn't want to be rude, even though it annoyed her, since he didn't seem to be very self-aware.

"Have you ever seen an actual alien?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"No, because they don't exist," she deadpanned.

"Oh, Scully. How your words wound me." She turned around and saw Mulder jokingly grabbing his heart at the same time she noticed the song had ended. He grabbed her lightly on the shoulder and leaned in a little closer to the boy. "Do you mind if I steal my partner back?"

"Not at all, Agent Mulder." He took his hands off Scully like she was on fire and backed up, staring in awe at the man he now recognized from reputation. "It was lovely dancing with you Agent Scully," he rushed meekly, offering her, what looked like, a mini bow before disappearing.

She turned to look at Mulder and saw he was grinning at her obvious relief. "Sorry if I stole you away from Prince Charming," he teased, putting his hand on the small of her back as they walked to their area.

"I think he's still going through puberty," she laughed, lazily brushing some hair away from her face. "What happened to your lovely lady?"

"She's right here," he murmured, drumming his fingers on her back. "But if you're talking about my dance partner, she had to retire for the night after she actually fell asleep on me." She had no idea alcohol made Mulder more openly flirtatious, but she loved it.

"Hey, is our drinking game still in effect? Because buddy boy hit almost every single one of our rules." She knew neither of them really needed anymore, but she didn't see the harm if they spent the rest of the night at their table and then just called a taxi home.

"Oh did he now? Well in that case, do you want to do a shot and then order another glass of wine?" Seemed like Mulder was on the same, delinquent brainwave as her.

"You're on." When they got to the bar, the only shot available was tequila, which they both took with their best poker faces before meandering back to their desolate table.

"You took that like a real Irish woman," Mulder complimented, a goofy smile now a permanent feature on his face.

"Thank you, you weren' so shabby yourself," she complimented while playing with the rim of her wine glass. She never had a high tolerance for tequila.

"Hey," he chirped to get her attention. When she looked at him, he had a finger pointed to the omnipotent gods in the sky controlling the music. " _Pony_ by Ginuwine. That's suggestive."

She listened intently to the lyrics for a second before readily agreeing, taking a generous gulp of her wine as she watched Mulder do the same. At the beginning of the game they had been a bit more reserved about their drinking, but now they were almost eager for more, being they were having so much fun watching the other be affected.

 _Fuck he looks sexy right now._ Without her knowing, he had loosened his tie a bit and rolled up his sleeves, revealing the strong forearms that she's enjoyed all to much during the heat of their passion. "See somethin' ya like?" he whispered, catching her leering.

She was sure it was a lot sloppier than she was intending since her motor functions weren't at their prime, but she discreetly placed a hand under the table, letting her palm fall on his upper thigh as she batted her eyelashes at him. In a low raspy voice she murmured, "I see a lot of somethin' I like."

His smile was almost predatory as he leaned in and whispered, "Whaddya say we finish out drinks, call a cab, and go back to my place?" They both laughed at the cheesiness of that pick up line, but then, as an answer, she picked up her wine glass and downed the rest of it in one gulp, winking at him as she set it down. He was all but beaming at her as he did the same with his, standing up as best he could as he offered his hand to her.

They miraculously made their way to the elevator with ease, avoiding everyone the best they possibly could. Scully was glad Mulder seemed so steady on his feet, because she was heavily leaning on him for support. She felt tingly and euphoric, giggling at nearly every little quip Mulder whispered to her as they walked. When they got to the elevator, they pressed the button for the ground floor and waited for the doors to close before they nuzzled closer together.

She was flush against his side as the elevator started to descend. She lethargically lifted her face to get a better look at him and smiled as soon as she was his handsome face. She just felt giddy to be so close to him, and that he was so eager to touch her. She watched as his eyes trailed over her face, spending a while examining her lips. Eventually, his gaze was too much and she huskily demanded, "Kiss me."

He descended on her like he'd been waiting for the invitation all night. He wrapped one arm around the back of her neck as the other one wrapped around her waist, desperately clinging onto her as she grasped the lapels of his suit coat. She accepted his tongue into her mouth instantly, enjoying the taste of wine on him. God, he was intoxicating. He trailed one of his hands down and grabbed the flesh of her ass hard, pressing her into him. She moaned into his mouth and he drank it in faster than the wine. She could feel her desire start to pool in her groin and she knew this would be the longest taxi ride of her entire life.

They heard the elevator ding and they separated reluctantly so they could leave. Only, as soon as the doors opened they realized they weren't all the way down yet. Instead of seeing the reception area, they saw A.D Skinner standing in front of an empty hallway. Immediately, they straightened up a bit more and put more distance in between them. "Hey, I'm glad to see you guys actually made it," he said enthusiastically as he stepped inside. Skinner pressed the ground floor button again and they found out they were apparently only on the sixth floor.

"Yeah, we wanted to say 'hi' but we couldn' see you," Mulder replied, managing to sound a bit more sober than she knew he was. If Skinner noticed, he didn't say anything.

"Did you both have a good time?"

Scully smiled at him and replied, "Yeah, it w-was nice. I dunno who actually retired though, we never saw 'im." Okay, she definitely sounded drunk.

Skinner, for the first time since she'd met him, looked genuinely amused. He looked from her, to Mulder, and back to her before incredulously asking, "Are you guys drunk?"

"N-no, we jus' had some drinks at the bar," Mulder defended jovially.

"Did you know it was open?" Scully asked as if she was telling him a secret.

She and Mulder exchanged a glance as they watched Skinner openly laugh, it was the weirdest sound they'd ever heard, but they were glad he wasn't mad. "Do you want me to call you a cab?" he offered.

He was a genuinely nice guy behind his intimidation. Scully continued to smile at him, noticing that it seemed to make him happy, and beamed, "If it wouldn't be inconvenient, that'd really help us." _Help us get home to fuck sooner._

He nodded and pulled out his phone, pressing one of his speed dials and ordering the cab with an ease she couldn't even fathom in her state. He tucked his phone away and told them it'd be in front of the building in a few minutes. They took a few steps out of the elevator and were about to say their goodbyes when he had one last comment to add. "Be safe tonight, and Mulder, as a friend, that lipstick isn't really your color." Their eyes widened like deer in headlights, making Skinner laugh as he walked away from them, simply amused at their antics.

Scully glanced at Mulder and noticed she had, yet again, smeared her lipstick on his mouth. "Wow, we're real bad at that," she muttered, wiping it off with her thumb.

He haphazardly grabbed her hand and pressed it to his mouth, placing kisses along all of her knuckles. The temporary Skinner break hadn't dampened his intentions at all. He was ravenous and he wanted her. She loved the way he wore his desire for her. "Are you Mr. and Mrs. Scully?" a taxi driver called out to them from the curb.

"Yes, we are," Mulder answered enthusiastically before she could say anything.

While his attention was on the cab, she pinched his butt and breathed, "Let's go _Mr. Scully_." They both slid in the back of the cab and recited Mulder's address, insisting that, no, they wanted to be dropped off at one location contrary to what the call said.

Mulder's place was only five minutes away, but apparently someone was a little impatient. As they pulled out of the parking lot and she watched the city lights pass by the window, she felt a hand rest on the hem of her dress. She turned to playfully glare at him, only to see he was looking straight out the window, pretending he wasn't even touching her.

She turned back and the hand slipped under her dress, curving to touch the skin of her inner thigh. She had to bite her lip to hold in a gasp, but she heard the light rumble of Mulder's self satisfactory laugh and she knew he noticed. She looked at the rearview mirror and was glad to see the taxi driver wasn't paying any attention to the drunks in the back.

Another turn of the car, another inch up her thigh. He would move up painfully slow, taking his time to tantalize the skin before he went deeper. She wished she could have been more of a seductress to match him, but in this moment she just wanted him to touch her more than anything. She eased further down in her seat so she could spread her legs a bit more, hoping he could take a hint.

Fuck _he groaned._ It easily may be one of the hottest sounds she'd ever heard and if it wouldn't have been obvious she would have moaned herself. She playfully squeezed her thighs around his hand and squirmed in her seat, hoping she could maneuver him higher. She took another glance in his direction and saw his eyes were closed and he was biting his bottom lip between his teeth. A glance down revealed just how much he was getting out of this too.

She spread her legs again and freed his hand, which immediately followed her hint and went higher, so that his knuckles were now just grazing the damp fabric of her underwear and the hem of her dress was high on her legs. Scully let her head fall back onto the headrest as she tried to even her breathing. This was an exquisite torture and all she wanted was to throw her legs over him and fuck him right now.

She felt him shift and place a gentle kiss to her shoulder. She let her head fall in his direction and she caught a pair of dark, hooded eyes watching her in a lust-filled rapture. Then, without warning, he pressed his knuckle hard on her clit and she violently bucked in the seat, almost biting her lip to the point of bleeding to avoid making any sound. Mulder let out a little breathy chuckle and she gyrated her hips against his fist desperately.

"$6.45," the taxi driver said, resetting the fare meter.

They jumped away from each other like they were struck by lightning, realizing the car was fully stopped outside of Mulder's complex. Scully adjusted her skirt back down as Mulder pulled out his billfold, pulling out a ten and telling the man to keep the change. They got out of the cab, too drunk and aroused to be embarrassed about fooling around in the cab, nor the fact they all but ran to Mulder's apartment.

While Mulder fumbled with his keys, trying to open the door as fast as he could, Scully came up from behind him and gave him a backwards hug, easing her hands down his body until she was fully grabbing his erection. Mulder jerked and reached out a hand to stabilize himself on the wall, "Ugh, fuck, Scully. Don't doubt that I just want to take you against the wall right now, but I really think the neighbors might prefer if I find my keys."

She giggled and raised her hands up his body just a fraction so that they were rubbing right above where they were wanted most. It was enough to let him find the key and burst the door open. He whipped around in her embrace, bent down, and hauled her body over his shoulder. "Mulder!" she exclaimed with a laugh as he walked into his place and shut the door behind them.

She expected he was going to let her down then, but instead he kept his arm wrapped around her thighs as the other came to hold her ass. She just dangled on his back as her hands played on his own ass, wondering where he was walking them to. A light flicked on and she recognized it as an upside down version of Mulder's bedroom. He took a few more steps before she was thrown lovingly on the middle of his bed, feeling like she was in the ocean as the waterbed riveted around her. She gasped in mock shock and proclaimed, "Oooh Mulder, your bed? I feel special, you yourself rarely ever get this luxury."

He loosened his tie all the way and whipped it off his head, tossing it to the side all while his eyes devoured her sprawled form hungrily. "We christened your bed, I figured it was only fair we did mine too," he shrugged with a lascivious smile. He reached down and started grabbing himself through his pants, touching himself tantalizingly slow as he struggled to unbutton his shirt.

"You're so sexy." It slipped out with ease because of the alcohol, but it was true nonetheless.

He let out a breathy chuckle as he let the shirt and jacket fly away from him before collapsing between her spread legs. "That's the pot callin' the kettle black." He pressed his mouth to hers in a sloppy kiss that was broken off by her moan when his weight pressed right on her aching core.

His lips ghosted over hers as he watched her. "I want you," she begged, her lips hitting against his the whole time. He didn't need to hear anymore, he moved away from her and rolled her on her back, moving his hand to the zipper and dragging it down a lot faster than he had brought it up. She almost laughed at the funny experience of the waterbed molding beneath her, but she was too entranced by Mulder's touch. His hand reached between the parted fabric and skimmed over every inch of exposed flesh as he could. She raised herself up and he helped get the dress down her arms while helping her stay steady.

When the dress was off her arms and fell forward, she heard Mulder gulp in a breath and mutter, "Jesus." She turned a bit to see him better and give him a questioning look, only to see his eyes were attached to her breast.

"You've seen them before," she giggled, shimmying her hips out of the dress before throwing it over the side of the bed, the motion making her fall on her back on the mattress.

"I know, but it shocks me that I'm allowed to everytime," he slurred, struggling to get his belt off as the shockwaves of her falling made him rise and fall on the bed.

She crawled towards him and batted his hands away playfully, grabbing the belt with both hands and deftly unbuckling it and sliding it off in a violent tug she was grateful didn't send her off the bed. "Lay down," she commanded, patting the bed.

He scooted his body weight and followed her instructions, laying vulnerably on his back. She straddled his legs and toyed with the fly of his pants, eventually dragging it down and maneuvering the waistband over his hips with his assistance. His erection was tenting hard in his plain grey boxers. She could see the fabric was damp where his precum was leaking out.

Scully crawled a bit further up his body so her mouth was hovering right over him. She let out a hot breath right over his shaft and enjoyed watching him writhe and squirm on the bed. Through the fabric, she let her tongue lap at his tip, bringing it teasingly into her mouth and letting her tongue run back and forth over it. She placed an indecent kiss on his head before following suit the whole way down. She was impressed at how controlled she was with her actions being she felt like the whole world was moving around her.

She looked up and saw Mulder was on his elbow, watching her in complete euphoria. She kissed his boxer-clad erection before admitting, "I wan' to play with you in my mouth so badly, I don't think you understand-" his cock twitched, hitting her chin, "-but since we've drank so much, I don't wanna do anythin' that will make me gag."

He moaned in ecstasy was looking at her like she'd just made a wet dream of his come true. She cocked her head to the side and he explained, "I'm sorry, Scully, but I'm a warm blooded, American male. The concept of you _gagging on me_ is really hot."

She smiled and looked down at the lipstick stained, precum soaked boxers and tugged them down his legs eventually being aided by his feet kicking them, and his shoes and socks, off the bed. She lethargically made her was back up and was met with him hooking his fingers under the waistband of her underwear, all but ripping them down her legs. She helped get them off, leaving both of them completely naked on his bed. His hands reached out and grabbed two handfuls of her heavy, aching breasts, making her head arch up. She gasped both in realization and in pleasure. "Mul-Mulder, look," she exclaimed, pointing upwards.

She always forgot he had a mirror above his bed, or a waterbed, or a bedroom in general, so when she looked up she was surprised to see her body hovering over his, his throbbing cock resting right in front of her mons as his arms flexing as they grabbed her breasts. She saw Mulder's eyes meet hers in the mirror as he let out a mix between a groan and a chuckle. "Wow, this is the best investment, I don' even recall making," he mused as he pinched her nipples. Her body bucked forward as she craved more and it bumped her right against his cock.

Keeping her sights on Mulder's face in the mirror, she reached in between them and guided their arousals to meet. She watched as all thought left his face as she slid down onto him, he just contorted in pure bliss as he let out a shuddered breath. His hands continued playing with the weight of her breasts as she settled down on him. When she was completely filled with his entire cock, she studied the way his entire chest rose and fell with his labored breathing, the way his brow became littered with little droplets of sweat. She lifted herself up and plunged back down, a throaty moan escaping her at the way the waterbed tried to compensate for her weight shifting, but ended up making him plunge hard and deep inside her.

She continued rising and falling on him, but the waterbed's rhythm started to become hard for them to navigate in their drunken state. Sometimes the added force would cause her to fly too upwards and cause him to concave into the bed, making him slide out of her repeatedly. Though it was hot feeling his cock brush against her clit or her ass, all she wanted right now was for it to be pounding in her cervix-deep. He moved his hands away from her breasts, reput himself inside her, and grabbed onto her hips with a new roughness he usually didn't use on her. It made the throbbing in her clit almost unbearable.

He started using his strength to move her up and down himself. She assisted with her knees and he bucked his hips against her. Now that she had less strain, she could gyrated her hips against him more. "Hey, Mulhder," she prompted.

"Y-yeah?" he panted between thrusts.

"Can you feel this?"

"Feel wha-oh fuck, Scully," he moaned, dropping his head back and tightening his grip on her hips. As he asked, she did a kegal on him, gripping him tighter with her vaginal walls. She knew it was supposed to feel nice, but her fingers were too short to be able to test it herself. "Yes, yes, I can most definitely feel that," he groaned in pleasure.

As if he wanted to do more for her, he tugged on her so she fell on him chest-to-chest and he angled his hips differently, hitting her g-spot and her clit simultaneously. "Ngh, fuck, Mulder. You feel so good." She would have been embarrassed at how whiney and breathy her voice sounded, but she could feel her orgasm building deep in her gut and it was all she cared about in the moment.

"I was thinking about this-all fucking night. Ever since I saw you-in that sexy little robe," his words kept breaking off from his gasps as he slammed into her. God he felt like a marble statue beneath her. The sound of their wet skin slapping against each other was thunderous in the room. He put his mouth right next to her ear so his breath hit her neck as he continued ravishing her, "Nothing feels better than being inside you."

She threw her head back and cried out as her body pulsated with relief. "Ohymgodohmygodohmygod," tumbled out of her lips as she undulated against him.

"That's it, cum for me Scully," he coaxed as he roatated his hips with her. Her whole entire body was quivering as she basked in her pleasure. She barely saw it happen, other than a whirl of color, as he changed their positions. The waterbed felt hot on her back from where his body heat had just been. She lifted her legs to let him go impossibly deeper and she clutched onto his back like her life depended on it.

She felt dizzy with desire and she had to cling to avoid her legs slipping off him. He suckled on her neck as he picked up the pace, almost becoming frenzied. Every thrust set her body on fire and words and whimpers incoherently left her lips. "I love you-" they both froze and she realized, as she felt him spurt hot inside her, that he was cumming. Through her drunken haze she had enough sense to try and cover it up and instantly added, "-r cock inside me." She didn't know if he picked up on her slip up since he was in the middle of an orgasm, but she became distracted herself when he pressed his pubic bone against her clit and ground against him. She gasped and dug her nails into his back as she came again, actually screaming in pleasure this time.

She watched her legs tighten around him in the mirror while his back and ass flexed as he helped draw out her orgasm. It just added to her pleasure and she felt like she was having a stimulation overload from pure bliss. When he sensed she was finishing, he collapsed next to her, careful to avoid smushing her on the bed. She felt his penis shrinking against her thigh as his body started to relax again.

She glanced at him and saw he was watching her, when he caught her eye he moved closer and placed a gentle kiss to her lips. He released her after a moment and his eyes were scanning her face, like he was trying to see what her reaction to it was. She offered him a tired smile and she burrowed a bit into the bed. "Do you mind if I rest my eyes here? Just for a couple of minutes?" she asked, fully intending on getting dressed and calling a cab.

He bent down and grabbed the covers they'd pushed off in a haste, pulling them up so both their naked bodies were covered. "You could stay here forever," he murmured quietly, resting his head on the pillow again. She smiled at him and placed a kiss to his exposed collarbone. She loved how tender he was with her, but she knew it'd be too romantic for her if she woke up in the morning post-coital with him laying next to her.

That was the last thing she thought of, along with how comfortable she felt in this moment, before she fell asleep.

 **Holy shit, this was a long chapter. Please let me know if you guys liked it! I had a lot of fun writing it and I'm excited to see what happens next. -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	7. Good Morning

**Author's Note: Aye! I'm so glad everyone liked the last chapter so much! There was so much I wanted to do with it and I'm happy with how it turned out. Hope all is going well for everyone. Here's another round!**

Soft. That was the first thing that came to mind when he woke up; everything around him was soft. Usually when he woke up, his body was groggy from lack of sleep and his skin was uncomfortably stuck to the hot leather of his sofa, but, this morning he felt warm, well-rested, and content. He snuggled further into his pillow, never wanting to leave this state of nirvana he was currently enjoying. Then his pillow snuggled back.

His eyes shot open as realization slapped him on the ass. _He was laying on Scully. Scully, Dana Scully, his partner and lover who had actually spent the night in his bed._ He didn't want to wake her up by his rigidness, nor from moving to look at her, but he wanted to have a better grasp at the situation. He flicked his eyes around and immediately realized his head was using her left breast as a pillow, her nipple prodding his cheek. He had his leg draped over her hips, he could feel her thatch of pubic hair against his inner thigh as his morning wood pressed demandingly against her hip. His arm was loosely draped around her bare waist and her own arm was possessively cradling his back. In essence, he was in the fetal position around her as she cradled him, a nice reversal of how he usually fantasize this moment.

He couldn't believe it. How long had he been imaging what it would be like to wake up next to her? Now he finally knew and it was all he could have ever hoped for. His head was lifting with the even rise and fall of her breath as she slept, he could watch her eyes move under her eyelids as she dreamt, his sheets would smell like her when she got up. He was simply enamoured. Years of watching her sleep in cars gave him the knowledge that she was a light snorer and that occasionally drool would slide down her face, but the adorable traits had become painfully domestic when it was happening in his arms.

Last night was perfect. From the moment he picked her up to, honestly, right now, he felt like he was living in a dream. It was as if they had went on an official date and came home together, what more could he want? He even got to enjoy having her in his arms, dancing to songs he used to consider trivial, but now only reminded him of her. _She even said she loves him._

He heard it. She tried to pretend she'd been saying something else, but 'you' doesn't morph into 'your' very well, and the tell tale different vowel shape gave it away. Scully loves him. It felt too good to be true, and, for the first time, he regretted that they drank last night. As much as he fully wanted to believe it was true, that she really felt the same way he did, he couldn't help but worry it was all just a combination of alcohol and lust.

That wasn't the only thing he was slightly worried about. Scully, who had spent so many weeks now trying to avoid being _too_ intimate, Scully, who's first rule was that they should never spend the night in each other's bed, was currently fast asleep in his bed after a night of drunken fuckery. _Oh my god_ , he practically fingered her in the back of a cab. Fuck, and Skinner definitely knew. While their antics of last night both amused and thrilled him, he wasn't so sure Scully would react the same.

"Mmmm," she mumbled sleepily, arching her back and causing the blanket to fall off her a bit more before burrowing back down into the mattress. Mulder watched as the blanket revealed more of her glowing body. An odd discoloration on her skin caught his eye, so he moved the blanket down a smidge only to gasp at what he saw; along her hips and waist were angry, purplish bruises. He moved his hand down and, barely touching her, and placed his hand directly over the bruises. A perfect match. His touch must've woken her up, because she started shifting, and he retracted his hand away from her skin, letting the evidence of his mishandling be exposed to the morning sun.

"Good morning" she croaked, stretching once more against him, not noticing the perturbed look on his face. She shifted her hand and ran her fingers lazily through his bed head. The gentleness of her touch only made him feel worse. After a moment of silence, she prompted him once more, "Mulder? Is everything okay?" There was a hint of concern, but he was too consumed in guilt to notice.

"Scully, I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me I was hurting you?" he asked in dismay, sitting up.

"What're you talking about?" she asked, confusion weighing heavy in her voice.

"I was really rough with you last night and I was too drunk to notice," he groaned, angry at his lack of restrain.

He was leaned over with his head in his hands when she snuggled up closer to him, stroking a hand along his bare back in an attempt to comfort him, ignoring her state of undress, "Mulder, in case my orgasms didn't cue you in, I really enjoyed myself last night."

"Scully, look at you," he cried, gently tracing the bruises along her hips and the ones on her inner and outer thighs. When he moved to look at her he noticed a series of hickeys adorning her neck and shoulders, and he gestured to those too.

When he finally had to courage to look her in the face, he expected to see anger at the way he manhandled her, but instead he saw a smile playing at her lips as she examined her body. Her piercing blue eyes shot up to him and he saw nothing but amusement in their depths, "Mulder, I find this incredibly sexy."

"Wait, what?"

She cupped his cheek and stroked the pad of her thumb along his jaw, "Mulder, you didn't do anything last night that I didn't absolutely want. What can I say? Sometimes I like it rough, especially when it's with someone I trust. Besides, that was really good sex from what I can remember, and I kind of enjoy the fact I'll have little reminders of last night on my skin for the next few days." Her words relieved him. He also couldn't help but rejoice in her honest-morning admission, she was telling the truth in a way that wouldn't have been dreamt of when all this started.

How was it possible that one person could soothe him so easily? He smiled lightly at her and asked, "You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?"

She rolled her eyes and commanded, "Mulder, use the mirror above you to look at your back. Look at your neck while your at it too." He did as he was told and leaned forward, craning his head to look at himself. Scully always liked to claw at his back, but he'd never really thought to look before. On his back were dozens of red scratches, some long, some short, some healing, some with light, crusted over blood from last night. He couldn't help but smile with the knowledge that every little mark happened when she was in the throes of pleasure caused by him.

He couldn't keep the smile off his face. He raised himself back and craned his neck, noting he had a series of hickies that matched hers perfectly. They reminded him of the eager way she lapped at him, wanting to arouse him to the point of oblivion. Scully ran her fingers over a few of the lines on his back. "Are you mad at me because I marked you?" she asked, an all knowing lilt in her voice.

He ripped his eyes away from the mirror to look at her, "No."

She smiled at him pleased and, as cheesy as it was, it made his heart hurt. The morning light was shining through the blinds and was reflecting straight on her. Her auburn hair had golden streaks and her blue eyes were almost impossible to look directly at. God, he loves her. She still hadn't moved to cover herself, so her supple body was glowing and relaxed, laying in _his_ bed as if she owned it. Which she could if she asked. She could have anything he had to give and she didn't even realize it.

"Oh shit," she groaned. He was worried she remembered something from last night and regretted it, or that she realized she broke her own rule. Instead, she simply asked, "Mulder, what time is it?"

He glanced over his shoulder at his alarm clock and turned back to her, "6:50am."

She groaned and fell back onto the bed, face in her hands, "Shit," she repeated. It took him a moment before he was on the same page as her; It was Friday and they had to be into work at 8.

He prodded her in the side lightly with his finger and tried to make her feel better, "Hey, well, we don't really report to anyone, just each other, so no one will really know if we're late."

She slid her hands down her face, slightly dragging a bit of her old makeup down with her. "Mulder, we have a review next week. You know they're going to pick us apart."

He shrugged, "Well, I think we'll be able to make it. We have a little over an hour."

She gave him a signature Scully glare and sighed, "Neither of us have our car, we both need to take a shower, and all I have is my dress from last night to wear."

He held out a finger to signal her to wait, and he jumped off the bed and ran to his drawers. A few months ago, they got rained on and had to change in a gas station before meeting a suspect. She didn't know where to put her wet clothes, and Mulder told her to toss them in the back and he'd get them dry cleaned later. He did, but he kept forgetting them and they just remained in one of his drawers. He pulled out the black turtleneck and slacks and shut the drawer.

He turned around to declare his plan, but he was caught off guard by her hungry eyes resting on his crotch and he remembered he was start naked sporting his morning wood for the world to see. He sat on the bed awkwardly, trying to pretend it wasn't there as he offered his plan. "Okay, I have a change of clothes for you, we can take a taxi, and we can take a shower together. I mean, we've seen each other naked before, and this is honestly just being practical." He would have suggested they skip a shower, but she was right. He felt gross from a night of drinking and he could feel the crusty remnants of last night's sex on his crotch, he could only imagine how much worse that was for her.

He waited for her to say no. She looked like she was initially going to, but after one more glance to little Mulder, she nodded. "How long have you had those?" she asked, getting out of bed and making her way towards his adjoining bathroom, wearing nothing but his gaze.

"Oh, uh," he stammered, jumping up to follow her before she redacted her agreement. "Just a few months, I forgot about them," he lied. He'd sometimes bring them out when he missed her, but she didn't need to know that.

"Hey, um," she started, pausing in the doorway shyly. "I'm sorry I fell asleep here last night. I know we said we shouldn't." She was looking away from him like she didn't want to see him reprimand her.

"Scully, that was your rule, not mine. I have no problems with you sleeping with me, literally. Please feel free to anytime you want," he responded genuinely.

She didn't offer him any answer aside from a smile, and she turned to walk deeper into the bathroom as he followed. Mulder turned on the shower, letting it heat up before they got in. He stood next to her by the sink, getting his toothbrush as she finished wiping the rest of her makeup off, using a wad of toilet paper and water. When she was done, she turned around and tossed the wad in the toilet before sitting down and peeing.

It was oddly intimate, listening to the little tinklings of Scully's pee as they got ready for their day, and he put his toothbrush in his mouth to hide his smile. He felt a little ridiculous, but this act of vulnerability made him inexplicably happy. He gave her her privacy, but watched her in the mirror as she wiped and stood up, coming next to him to wash her hands. How Scully of her, washing her hands a few moments before getting in the shower.

He spat in the sink and was about to put away his toothbrush before he heard Scully say, "Um, Mulder." Immediately he realized she didn't have hers, so without even thinking, he handed her his own. "Thanks," she appreciated shyly, adding more toothpaste before putting it in her mouth. He wanted to stand there and watch the domesticity happening before his eyes, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Instead, he pulled back the curtain and stepped in the shower.

He looked around and grimaced. He had some 3-in-1 Head and Shoulders, an old razor with some shaving gel, and a collection of mini bottle washes he'd stolen from motels. It was a far cry from the aroma-variety of Scully's bath supplies. Mulder just shrugged and lathered his hair with the Head and Shoulders. He saw some left over soap on the bottom of the shower and he quickly rubbed it away with his foot while he let the water run over his head; not wanting Scully to think he was gross and also not wanting her to slip on it.

He was done just in time as she pulled back the curtain and slipped in, smiling at him meekly. "Uh, sorry I don't have a great selection of stuff-" he started before she cut him off.

"No, no, thank you for letting me use it," she implored. He realized, as he did another involuntary sweep of her body, that he was blocking the spray from hitting her.

"Oh, sorry. I already washed my hair, you can have the water."

"Thanks," she smiled. They both lightly grabbed on to each other for stability as they tried to switch places. He had a combination tub and shower, so there wasn't a lot of room, resulting in their fronts completely brushing against each other. He heard Scully gasp lightly as his cock, still hard as a rock, brushed against her abdomen, much like he gasped as her breast brushed against his wet torso.

They laughed awkwardly at the situation as she grabbed the hair soap and he grabbed a mini motel bottle. He watched as she poured a dollop onto her palm before rubbing it into her scalp, using her fingers to massage it in as she worked it through her hair. Her eyes were closed in contentment, and he couldn't help but stare. Her breasts were pert as the water and suds flowed over them, leaving them glistening and tantalizing.

He poured some soap in his hand, setting the bottle back down on the counter before rubbing it over his chest. It took every fibre of his being to resist doing what his instincts told him to do. God, he just wanted to grab himself and jerk off, but even though they were close, he felt masturbating directly in front of her, to her, as she tried to shower may be a bad idea.

Instead, he just let out a shaky breath, closed his eyes, and rubbed the soap over his arms, abdomen, and legs. As quickly as he could, he wiped his sudsy hands over his cock to wipe away the old cum and arousal. He took his lip in between his teeth to suppress a groan and moved back up to a more PG area. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see Scully facially mirroring, except her bottom lip was in between her teeth as her eyes were laser focused on his hand's movements, especially focused on a more pressing area of his anatomy.

A devious thought passed his mind, and he decided to take a shot in the dark, hoping she'd go along with it. "Hey," he crooned, getting her attention. She looked at him in embarrassment from getting caught, but the look of lust remained in her eye. "I'm done and you look like you could use a hand," he soothed as he squeezed more body wash into his palms.

She grinned at him and gasped when his hands came in contact with her hips, rubbing circles along her wet flesh. The sound of the shower spray hitting her skin was deafening in the confined space as he awaited her response. Her skin felt so unbelievably soft. Gone were the patches of hair and overall roughness found on his body, she felt like silk. She was letting her hair set before rinsing it out, and she tried to distract herself by washing her face with the body wash. He ran his hands up to her breast, caressing them in feigned necessity before stroking her arms.

Then he grabbed some more soap and gently eased himself down so that he was on his knees in front of her. He grabbed the side of her thighs and started lathering them up, spending some extra time gently going over the marks of his affection. He suspected she knew where he was going with this, but she still rebutted him as he kissed her pubic mound. "Mulder, we don't have a lot of time," she whimpered in a voice that contradicted her argument, her hand already reaching to grab the shelf of the shower.

He ran his tongue in between her folds and was pleased to find that she was already wet, her tangy musk differentiating itself from the water. "Well, it's a good thing you're already halfway there," he teased. He flicked his tongue against her clit once, eliciting a stifled moan from the woman towering over him. "I can get you off in no time," he promised before burying his face in her.

Her whole body jerked towards him and he snaked his hands around her waist to cup her ass, anchoring her against him as he kneaded the soft mounds. He nuzzled his jaw back and forth as his tongue worked her clit. "Mmm-ulder," she moaned his name, sensually rocking with him. He grabbed her bud between his lips and started sucking intently. Normally he liked to build up a little more, but time was of the essence. He didn't want her to be mad at him for making them late, or, heaven forbid, she make him stop.

It didn't seem she had any intention of doing that in the moment though, because she ran her fingers through his hair, pressing him closer to her, and she raised a leg over his shoulder to give him better access. Her obvious desire made his cock twitch against her leg and he let out a loud moan into her. "Oh, fuck," she cried out as the vibrations of his voice traveled through her.

He lowered his mouth and let his tongue thrust in and out of her a few times, harshly curving up in an attempt to hit where she liked. Her fingers in his hair tightened and his arms wrapped around her more when he was afraid her involuntary thrusting would knock her over.

He trailed his tongue back up and latched onto her clit once more, sensing she was close. Deciding to be a little bolder, he lightly grazed the knub back and forth between his teeth and was shocked at how it affected her. She practically collapsed on him as she came and he quickly replaced teeth with lips, afraid of causing any damage to the part of her body they were both so fond of. He spread out his fingers as he held her tightly, her body spasming against him.

She gently let her shaky leg fall back to the ground, but he kept his hands on her to make sure she wouldn't fall. He eased himself up gently so he was standing in front of her again and was happy to see a goofy grin spread across her face. "Told you I'm efficient."

She sent him a coy smirk as she glanced to his erection then back at him. "You were so efficient, I think we have time for some reciprocity," she teased before kneeling in front of him. Whereas he had to bend down a bit to reach her, she had to lean up, angling his cock down to get ahold of it better. The curse of height differences. As soon as her hand wrapped around him, he felt on edge. He couldn't really blame himself, he'd had this erection for god knows how long.

"I'm not going to last very long and I'd love it if we could blame that on my excellent time management skills," he teased, knowing he was too aroused to last in her mouth.

Scully just chuckled before stroking his shaft up and down, making sure he was fully wet before plunging her mouth down on him. He let out a shaky breath and threw his head down to watch her. She was beyond skilled at this and it blew him away every time. Pun intended. Her eyes were closed while she bobbed against his length, letting him hit the back of her throat and then letting him fall out until she was just swirling her tongue over his tip.

He noticed there were still a ton of suds in her hair, and he realized she was too distracted by him to remember to rinse out her hair. Through his haze of arousal, he grabbed an old cup sitting on a shelf of the shower and let it fill up with the now lukewarm water. As she sucked and lapped on him, he poured the water over her head, careful not to get any on her face. He didn't hear the laugh, but he could feel the vibrations through his member. He filled up the cup once more and repeated the process, this time raking his fingers through her hair, making sure to get it all out.

He set the cup back down and Scully became more vigorous with her motions, raising one hand to fondle his testcles, her thumb stroking the sensitive skin where his balls met his shaft. This was the first time they'd ever really just fooled around, there was that time they masturbated to each other, but they'd never just stopped at oral before. He didn't really know what the protocol for coming was, but it was a rapidly approaching issue.

"S-scully?" he stammered, gripping at the walls aimlessly.

"Hmm?" she replied without letting up.

He didn't know how to phrase it without sounding crude, "I-I'm close, where d-"

She let go of him so she could look up, and in a throaty voice told him, "In my mouth."

Before he could ask if she was sure, she was back on him and going harder than ever. The combination of her fervor and her saying one of the hottest things he'd ever heard had him spurting hot down her throat. Even though he was already cumming, she was still sucking on him, albeit not as intensely, and his eyes practically rolled to the back of his head. After his orgasm subsided, she pulled her mouth away and swallowed before standing back up and meeting his captivated, enamoured expression. _Scully swallowed._ More importantly, Scully just swallowed a load of his cum, with a smile on her face nonetheless. He quickly filed that in his storage of favorite facts before reaching around her and turning off the cold shower, realizing the spray must feel freezing on her back.

"I don't know about you, but this is a really good way to start the day in my opinion," he joked, though he was serious, as he stepped out of the shower to grab two towels. He handed one to her and wrapped the other around his waist after wiping himself down.

"I second your assessment." Her response was muffled as she flipped her body down so she could ruffle her hair dry with the towel before wrapping it around herself and stepping out of the tub, using his offered hand as leverage.

They wandered back into the bedroom and started getting dressed. "I have boxers and briefs if you want something? Some are snug on me, they'd still probably be loose on you though,"he offered, watching her shimmy her pants on.

She chuckled at him and zipped up her fly, "Thanks for the offer, Mulder, but this isn't the first time I've gone to work comando." Mulder cocked his eyebrow, surprised and thrilled by this new information. "Oh, like you haven't," she admonished jokingly.

They finished putting on their clothes in silence, and he was surprised to see Scully had disappeared back into the bathroom. "Is everything okay?" he called out, adjusting his tie.

She came out, turtleneck tucked in her slacks, fidgeting with the fabric around her chest. "Do I look okay? she asked self consciously.

"Of course you do," he answered honestly.

"Can you tell I'm not wearing a bra?" she asked, pivoting in one spot to give him different angles. He forgot she hadn't been wearing a bra under her dress last night and that might be uncomfortable. He looked at her thoroughly and realized she really looked different right now. She didn't have her normal pantsuit on, though she still looked professional, and she didn't have any makeup to put on, so she looked bare and younger than normal.

"It's not really noticeable unless attentions drawn to it. You look really nice though, quite _Charlie's Angels,"_ he answered, making her smile.

"Thank you," she replied shyly. "I guess I'm lucky the one outfit you had was able to cover all the hickies," she added, grabbing her purse from the ground and walking to the door with him.

They walked down his apartment stairs together and he felt a little guilty when he heard her stomach grumble. He hadn't grocery shopped in weeks, so he didn't have anything to offer. All she had for breakfast was him, and she had to be starving. He made a mental note to suggest an early lunch as he hailed a taxi.

Scully gave the man the Hoover Building address as she clambered into the backseat, checking the time on the dash and exhaling in relief when she saw they were making good time. Orgasms and all. The driver started pulling out into the street and Mulder thanked god they were only a short distance away when he heard the driver's voice, "So, did ya get wild last night?"

What were the chances, of all the taxi drivers in Washington D.C, they would get the same one twice in a row?

"Excuse me?" Scully asked. _Dear god, did she not remember the bit in the taxi? She remembered having sex, surely she remembered that._

The man looked at them through the rearview mirror, as if to double check he identified them correctly, "Oh, figures you might not remember. Ya both were drunk as skunks by the time ya were in my cab."

Scully turned fifty shades of red and buried her face in her hands, mumbling, "I thought I had dreamed that." He was flattered and amused by her words.

"Afraid not, Scully," he chuckled. Even though he had no shame in the situation, it was a bit awkward sitting with the man who witnessed his drunken brazenness last night.

"Ah, don't be embarrassed. I can't even tell ya how many couples go out on dates and get a little frisky on the route to the main event," the driver teased.

Ever since they were first partnered together, that'd been happening, and it was a simple joy in his life. He absolutely, unabashedly loved it when people mistook him and Scully as a couple. She probably was aggravated by the amount of times she'd been referred to as 'Mrs. Mulder,' but it thrilled him. He'd always grin at her and wait for the inevitable tone of her voice as she explained, 'We're not a couple.'

Now was different though. In a weird, unusual way, regardless of the semantics and repressed feelings, they were a couple. He was certain she had to suspect he loves her, and she drunkenly admitted her own feelings, whether she was aware of that he still wasn't sure. He was curious how she'd respond when the person addressing it saw Mulder's hand up her skirt less than twelve hours ago. He was surprised when he didn't hear her normal correction and he glanced over at her only to see her shyly playing with her fingernails, a coy smile tugging on the corners of her lips. He couldn't remember a time where silence made him so happy. In this temporary moment, in the mind of this cab driver, they were just a normal couple. A couple who went on dates and were so in love with each other, they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

They just sat in comfortable silence the rest of the ride, surprisingly not feeling as awkward as he thought it would have been. They pulled up to the Hoover Building with plenty of time to spare and Mulder tipped the cab driver generously as Scully scooted out. They were just appreciating getting there smoothly when they both froze. "I didn't know you guys lived close to each other," a familiar voice called out behind them.

They turned around in their place in the security line and saw A.D. Skinner cockily grinning behind them. "Um, Mulder let me sleep on his couch last night, so I didn't have to navigate to my apartment by myself last night," she tried to lie casually. He was touched that, even in her lies, she made him sound so gallant.

"That was very generous of you, Mulder," Skinner complimented before adding, "You even provided her with a change of clothes." If they weren't flustered before, they were now. The man had such an authoritative demeanour about him, even though Mulder was certain he would keep his newfound knowledge to himself, he couldn't help but feel like he was getting reprimanded by a parent.

"I kept a spare over there in case of emergency," she offered lamely. Mulder noticed as she talked that Skinner himself was having a hard time looking at her. The one time he did, Mulder caught him taking a quick glance at her chest, then her face, and flitting his eyes away. Of course, he didn't expect to be the only man to admire Scully's beauty, he even knew Skinner had a long-standing appreciation for Scully, but he hadn't anticipated her new look would have elicited such a reaction from the man.

Little did he know that would be a trend for the rest of the day.

He didn't know if Scully was choosing to ignore it or if she was oblivious to it, but all day every male couldn't get enough of fresh-faced, braless Dana Scully. He understood why, she truly did look radiant, but it pissed him off. He didn't mean to be territorial, but he didn't understand the hypocrisy of it all. If everyone in this damn building assumed he and Scully were a secret couple, then why did they feel like it was necessary to oogle and flirt with Scully right in front of him.

Three people held the door open for her, only to let it shut on him as they followed her like a puppy. He watched a lab geek ruin a sample because he was so distracted by looking at her. If another person told her 'good morning' in that stupid, cheery tone, he was going to vomit. This was too much.

The straw that broke the camel's back was an agent that approached them while they were on their way to lunch. He was tall, older, handsome, the archetype of the men from her past. "Dana, you look more beautiful than ever," the man beamed.

"Tony, hey. How are you?" Scully asked before hugging him. She hugged him. Without provocation.

Mulder didn't pay attention to most of the conversation, he was too busy watching the way the man casually touched her, gazed at her, admired her. It made Mulder uncomfortable. Realistically thinking about it, he wasn't agitated at anything other than the fact she looked unbothered. With the other men today, she brushed them off like they were inconsequential. Some she indulged with a polite smile, much like she did to Frohike.

But this man was getting toothy Scully smiles, and he was jealous. He knew it was irrational. What did it matter when _Tony_ got to touch her arm and receive a smile when Mulder himself was buried in her last night and tag teamed oral in his shower this morning.

Maybe that was it; he got this morning, he got last night, he got last week, but that didn't guarantee him tonight, or tomorrow, or the lifetime he wanted. Even though they were making progress, even though he felt safe, at this current moment, they were still just friends with benefits. As much as he loved that, he wanted more. He didn't want last night to be an anomaly, he wanted to spend the rest of his mornings waking up in her arms, he wanted to take her out on romantic dates, he wanted to show her how much he loves her, fuck he wanted to scream it from the rooftops. Honestly, he just wanted to say it. To be able to tell her without fear.

He snapped out of his reverie when he heard Scully laugh at something the man said, and it just solidified Mulder's plan. He was going to put himself out there and be completely and totally honest with her. His gut was already twisting with nerves and he had no idea how he was going to do it, but it had to be done.

He was going to ask her on a date.

 **Sorry if it was rushed at the end at all. I was just eager to get another installment out. Hope you enjoyed! -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	8. White Gardenias

**Author's Notes: Hello again! I would like to continue to apologize for my sporadic updates, but I appreciate all of your patience! Also, I'm going to Spooky Empire, lol! It was impulsive, but I'm excited and nervous as hell. Anyway, hope you enjoy.**

That was easily the best morning she'd had in god knows how long. Scully was pretty clear on the events of the night, some were a little fuzzier than others, but she remembered the important parts: dancing, flirting, and waterbed sex with a mirror to top it all off. It was perfect. She was surprised at how calm she was about the fact she woke up in his bed this morning, after she'd explicitly tried to avoid it. She's been afraid it would be too intimate, but she hadn't thought about how fantastic that intimacy would be. Now she wanted it to happen again more than anything.

Her only regret was that she didn't have better clothes ready. She was beyond grateful for what Mulder gave her, but it really wasn't something she would have worn to the office on a normal basis. Going braless in a turtleneck paired with black slacks and high heels wasn't her idea of work-appropriate. To top it all off, she didn't have any makeup, not that it was really a big deal. The post-orgasm glow Mulder gave her was the best boost her complexion could've gotten. She felt radiant.

Apparently most of the office did too, from Skinner to the mail delivery guy, it seemed that everyone had a hard time choosing between looking at her face or chest. While it was irritating, it was almost worth it to watch Mulder sulk about it. He was at least being respectful about his appreciation of her attire, catching long glances when he thought she wasn't paying attention, but he was less than empathetic towards the men doing the same thing.

She thought maybe it'd wear off after a while, but even now, as they were making their way out the building for lunch, a man told her good morning and Mulder practically scowled at him and grunted, "It's the afternoon, maybe if your eyes weren't so preoccupied you could look at a clock." The man just looked embarrassed and scampered away.

She looked incredulously at Mulder who only offered a shrug in explanation. They walked into the elevator and she turned to him fully, "Mulder, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replied quickly. "Are you?"

"Yeah, you just seem a little on edge with the other agents."

He looked like he was going to brush it off before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm sorry, I know you can handle yourself, but I just think it's rude that everyone is lasciviously leering at you."

"It bothers me, but it's just a few more hours. It's just karmic punishment for not having a spare change of clothes at your house," she joked.

"You didn't seem bothered by that one guy a few minutes ago," he mumbled before quickly adding a sincere, "I'm sorry, that was out of line it's none of my business."

"What guy? The one who gazed at my ass when I bent over to get my purse in our office? Well he's my partner, I like to be a little more lenient with him," she teased with a wink.

He rolled his eyes with a laugh before clarifying, "I was speaking more along the lines of the guy you hugged." They stepped out and realized at the same time they still didn't have a car on them, so they just turned around and hit the button of the main floor so they could just walk to the diner.

"Tony?" she asked as the doors shut. "Mulder, we trained in the academy together." She looked over at him and saw he was still brooding and decided to put him out of his misery. "We always used to talk about our boyfriends together."

Mulder perked up at this and turned to her with a poorly repressed smile, "Oh, he's gay?"

Scully nodded before adding, "If I had to take a shot in the dark, I'd say you were jealous." There was a teasing lilt in her voice and she hoped it was enough to cover up any hopefulness from seeping into her voice.

The elevator doors opened up and she thought it would be the end of the conversation, but Mulder walked out with a simple, "You've always been a proficient shot." _Smooth, Mulder._

As if he heard her internal compliment, he turned to wink at her as he held the door open for her so they could start walking to lunch. Scully couldn't help but smirk at the memory of the last time they were in that diner, they'd enjoyed having sex so much they wanted to do it again immediately, but they were too nervous to say anything. When the veil of shyness was broken they talked about their longstanding yearning to fuck the other before they practically ran out of the restaurant to do just that. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Something funny?" Mulder asked, pressing the button of the traffic light as they waited for the traffic to stop.

"I was just thinking about the last time we ate here," she admitted.

"It was pretty good, but it didn't taste nearly as good as the dessert did," he grinned. She laughed and slapped his arm playfully. "By the way, you should wear heels more often. It'd probably save us a lot of neck pain in the long run.

"I think I'd take a lifetime of straining my neck up to look at you then spend anymore time in these death traps. You don't know the true meaning of foot pain until you have to walk around in high heels for two days," she groaned, shifting her feet at the reminder of the constant ache.

"I can give you a foot massage later," he joked, walking when the green man sign lit up.

It amazed her. In just this short interval of time they'd gone from blushing at the sheer mention of their mutual attraction to flirting nonchalantly in the middle of the day. The developments were more than welcomed, and a small, immature part of her was curious where they would be the next time they went to this came here.

They'd just gotten to the diner when her phone started to ring. She pulled it out and saw 'MOM' shining black against the dull green screen. "Mulder, do you think you could get us a table? My mom's calling me."

"Sure thing. Do you want your regular?" She smiled and nodded and he went into the diner. She leaned against the brick of the building and answered her phone.

"Hey Mom, how are you?" she asked, brushing her wind-blown hair away from her face.

"I'm good honey, I just wanted to check up and hear how everything's been going. I haven't heard from you in a while." No matter how old she was, the sound of her mother's voice would always be a comfort to her. She felt a little bad that she'd been so distracted by her developments with Mulder that she'd forgotten to call her.

"Sorry I haven't called, I've just been a little, um, busy lately."

"With work?" she prompted.

"Um, no actually, not really. Well, there was a dangerous situation a while ago, but it was all smoothed out. Work hasn't been too stressful otherwise," she explained, not wanting to fully explain her near death experience to her mom right now, nor wanting to give her mom the honest answer that she had been preoccupied by Mulder's body.

"Oh, well I'm glad that something aside from work has been occupying your time. That's good to hear." She could hear the underlying curiosity, but her mom wasn't the type to badger her with questions, how refreshing.

"What about you mom? What have you been up to?" she asked, picking at the brick on the side of the building, glancing through the window to see Mulder was at a booth ordering for them.

"Well, you know how I uprooted the mulch on the side of the house?" Scully gave a noise of confirmation, and she continued, "Well last week Bill layed down some soil for me and I just got back from the store and I'm about to plant the flowers I bought."

"What type of flowers did you choose?"

"Well, you know I'm a bit superstitious, so I spent an hour consulting with the florist about the different types. I finally decided on zinnias because they represent remembrance and white heathers for protection." The selection was perfect for her mom and it brought a smile to Scully's face. Though hearing her mom talk like that couldn't help but remind her of Melissa.

Her mother was explaining how she planted them as Scully caught sight of Mulder through the glass again and was reminded of yesterday. "-and our neighbors even complimented them after I finished. I've always thought they were so nice," she finished.

"Hey mom, when you were at the floral shop, did you happen to learn what gardenias represent?"

"Why? Did you get some?" Scully rolled her eyes at the suggestive tone her mother immediately adopted.

"Um, I did happen to acquire some."

"What color were they?"

"White." Her mom audibly gasped and for a second Scully was worried they meant 'go fuck yourself' from how she'd reacted. "What? Is that bad?"

She could hear slight rustling and she figured her mom must've been shaking her head. "No, no, quite the contrary. White gardenia's mean secret love or sometimes, unrequited love."

Scully felt the world stop around her at her mother's words. _Secret love? Unrequited love?_ She had no doubts Mulder knew the meaning of the flowers when he gave them to her and she just wanted to go in and ask him what he meant. Was he saying he loved her, but thought she didn't feel the same? Fuck. She felt dizzy when she remembered an important tid bit she had forgotten from last night; she told Mulder she loved him. In the middle of an orgasm nonetheless. _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god._ Well, if he thought it was unrequited, he sure as hell didn't now. Unless he didn't remember? Or maybe he didn't trust it because she was drunk? Nothing could ever just be simple and easy with them.

"Dana?" her mom's voice called out to her, pulling Scully out of her inner turmoil.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

She could practically hear her mom's giddiness. "Honey, Did someone give you those flowers?"

"Um, yeah," she sighed, too overwhelmed to dance around the truth.

"Who's the special someone?"

"Oh, just a guy I've been hanging out with," she answered, glancing involuntarily at Mulder.

"Well, that's not a bouquet someone just picks up casually for a date. In my opinion, he sounds sly as a fox," her mom teased. She rolled her eyes again at her mom's cheeky play on words. Scully had no doubts she meant fox with a capital 'F'.

Before she had a chance to think of a comeback, she saw the waiter come with their drinks. "Hey mom, I'm sorry, I have to go. I'm at lunch and I see our drinks just came."

"Ooh, are you out with Mr. Romance?"

"I'm with Mulder, mom."

"Oh, so I was right," she laughed. "Tell Fox I say hello, it was wonderful talking to you Dana. I love you."

She decided to ignore that comment and just replied, "I love you too mom. Bye," before ending the call.

"How's Mrs. Scully doing?" Mulder asked as she slid across from him in the booth. She half wondered if he requested the same booth, or if, just like their taxi driver this morning, fate just liked to tease them.

"She's doing well, she says hello by the way," Mulder's face lit up and hers did by default. She always enjoyed how much he genuinely cared for her mom. She wished they had met under better circumstances, but at the same time, she was happy it bonded them. "She just planted her garden and wanted to catch up."

The smile stayed on his face and she just moved her attention to her glass of water, letting the droplets of condensation run onto her fingertips. "Are you sure everything's okay?" he asked, putting his hand forward on the table so that it fell into his line of vision. She looked up in surprise and saw he was oddly serious.

"Yeah, Mulder. I'm actually really good. Why do you ask?"

"Well it's just-" he paused as if he was looking for the correct words and he'd find them in the air, "-you had been so adamant that we never sleep in the same bed. I was never sure why, but I didn't want to ask and make you uncomfortable. Now we did and I just want to make sure, it was okay." He was rambling, and she wasn't sure if he was waiting for her to cut him off. She let him go on for a little because it was amusing, and slightly endearing, to watch.

She held out her hand and grabbed one of his own, which had been resting on the table. "Mulder, I already told you this morning that it really didn't bother me that I fell asleep at your place last night. In fact, I had a really nice time this morning," she offered with a reassuring tone, grateful that he seemed to accept her words as truth.

He looked like he was about to respond seriously but the waiter came and gave them their food, a helping heap of compliments for Scully, and one for Mulder; "Your girlfriend is beautiful, you're a lucky lucky man."

Scully saw Mulder turn to her and she just grabbed some napkins with a smirk and didn't bother correcting. What could she say? She liked it. They ate in companionable silence, but she noticed as the meal progressed, Mulder seemed to get antsier and antsier. He kept wiping his palms on his pant legs, playing with his hands, and bouncing his leg up and down. By the time she was almost done she could hardly take it anymore and she asked, "Mulder, are _you_ okay?"

He looked up in surprise, "Yeah, yeah, what makes you think otherwise?"

She decided not to go into the list of Mulder-anxiety habits and instead nervously asked, "Are you sure it didn't bother you I didn't leave? You just seem a little on edge?"

He was shaking his head before she even finished the sentence and immediately started with, "No, no, Scully. I already told you. You can stay over as long as you want, any time. Honest."

"Then what's up?"

He set his food remnants aside and wiped his hands once more before resting his elbows on the table. She realized he was getting serious and she decided to mirror his actions to show she was listening. "Scully, what are you doing tonight?"

She laughed when she realized what he was doing and quickly relaxed. He looked puzzled by her response and she waved a hand as if to dismiss his worry. "I'm so sorry, Mulder. You know I would say yes on any other occasion-" she saw his face drop and she thought it was a little odd. This was the first time she'd ever had to decline and she didn't think he would ever be actually sad about it. "-but I am so sore from last night. I think if you tried to put that thing in me, my body just might give out from how tender I am. Not that I regret it or anything, but woo, I'm going to need a little recovery." He was smiling by the middle of her explanation and she realized they must've not been on the same page. "What?"

"Sorry, Scully. That's not exactly what I meant."

"Oh," then realization dawned on her again, "Wait, are we going on another out of town case?" she lightly groaned. She wouldn't say no, but she never really liked when the cases were so back to back.

"Um, no," he reassured, sitting up a little straighter, still looking nervous as ever.

She decided to be done with the guessing games and just said, "Well, it's Friday, so I was probably going to catch up on laundry. Maybe read a bit. Why?"

"I'm sorry, I wanted to do this properly, and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Feel free to say no, just today really made me see everything differently-" he looked like he was going to continue, but he was making her nervous so she cut him off.

"Mulder, I can't give you an answer if you don't ask me whatever it is you're going to ask me."

He looked into her eyes from across the table and she wanted to look away from the pure intensity in his look, but she was drawn in. "Scully, may I take you out on a proper, real date?"

She felt her body freeze over at his words and she was worried she had misheard him. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you."

"I want to take you out on a date, not office mandated, not under any pretenses. I want to take you on an honest to god date."

She felt a smile creep up on her lips and the pure shock she was in started to feel warm and radiating, "Wh-what brought this up?" She made sure she didn't sound uninterested, she was just simply curious.

"I've been having a great time with you and last night was just phenomenal. I can't remember the last time I was that happy. Then today everyone's been oogling you and I realized any day you could change your mind on our arrangement and go out with someone else. I just want a chance to show you all I have to offer. I know I'm pushing our agreement a bit, but we can pretend this never happened if-" he kept rambling and she just sat back and watched him. This man loves her.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

She gave him a toothy smile and reclaimed his hand in her own. "Yes, I will go out on a date with you."

 **I'm sorry this chapter was so short. I really wanted to get an update out, but I'm in a kind of sad funk right now and I didn't want it to taint the date, which will be coming up next! Thank you again for your time and all the nice things you've said to me! Prepare for the next one, I hope it's a doozy of awkward fluff! -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	9. On Top of the World

**Author's Notes: Hello, hello! Thank you to all who are sticking around, I appreciate you so much! I just went through an 'insecure about my writing' phase, but I got so many sweet messages from everyone. Thank you so much, your kind words were really uplifting to hear.**

He'd been fantasizing about this paramount moment in their relationship for longer than he was proud to admit. He knew it was childish, imagining what it would be like asking Scully out on a date. He contemplated it anytime he was alone with his thoughts for too long, especially after spending a significant amount of time near her, which just so happened to be nearly every single day since she was assigned all those years ago. When he was trying to fall asleep at night, when he was driving down a long stretch of American highway going nowhere, when he couldn't keep his eyes off her in the office, it was a comforting daydream always niggling the back of his mind.

What could he say? He was a hopeless romantic at heart, and Scully has always been the woman of his dreams. He'd imagined how he'd take her by surprise, she'd be shocked by his romanticism that years of partnership hadn't prepared her for. Sometimes he imagined offering bouquets of flowers, other times he pictured that he just shows up to her apartment in the middle of the night because he simply can't take waiting anymore. He imagined she'd be smitten with him, maybe half as nervous as he was. Even in his own fantasies, Scully was far more composed than himself. His fantasies always included her telling him it was unprofessional, or that she was scared about how it might affect their partnership and friendship.

Never in his wildest dreams did she simply say " _Yes, I will go out on a date with you,_ " with a beaming smile on her face as she held his shaking hand in her steady ones. He never thought it would happen in this shoddy, faux retro diner, nor did he think asking her out would come _after_ becoming physically intimate. It was perfect for them, nothing about it was what could be expected, and he loved it. Naturally unconventional.

He smiled back at her and for a moment he was afraid his face was going to split open from pure exuberance. His cheeks ached and he felt like the muscles in his face were quivering from holding the same position for too long. It took a few moments for him to even process that time hadn't stopped with him when those words left her mouth. Customers were still chatting amongst themselves, servers were still bustling around the room, and Scully was smiling expectantly, waiting for some acknowledgement to her answer.

He squeezed her hand and let out a long breath, making her chuckle. He was glad there wasn't a reflective surface near him because he knew he must look ridiculous right now, a man nearing forty wearing the expression of a jubilant child. He didn't even know what to say right now, just 'thank you' seemed awkward, but the phrase was repeating on a deafening loop in his head.

Scully, with her neverending understanding, put him out of his misery. "So," she prompted, making sure he was back in reality before asking, "Where will we be going?"

"It's a surprise," rolled off his tongue without thought. In all honesty, it _was_ going to be a surprise, for both her and himself. He didn't even know today was the day he'd ask her out until less than an hour ago. Ever since, he'd been so caught up in the asking, he hadn't even planned past that part.

If she knew that was just code for 'I don't know yet,' she didn't let on. Instead, she simply nodded and retracted her hands so she could finish the last bite of her sandwich, yet again reminding him of the fact this was really happening. They weren't in one of his daydreams, they were just taking their lunch break, like they had been doing every single day for the past six years. She looked unfazed by the seriousness of this new leap and it excited him to think romance also could become a part of their routine, an everyday normalcy.

He started eating some of the remnants of his fries, now cold from neglect, when she spoke up again, "Could you give me a hint so I know what to wear?"

He pondered for a moment before answering, "Wear something you're comfortable in." He still was brainstorming every date option he'd ever heard of, but since they just had to dress up last night, he wanted them to be able to just have fun and relax. She cocked an eyebrow in amused curiosity and he added, "Does seven work for you?"

"Yeah, all I have to do after work is take a taxi back to my apartment. I'll be ready by seven." Her smile hadn't fully left her face yet and, after taking in the gleam in her eye and the fidgeting of her hands, a small part of him realized she was just as excited as he was. It almost felt too good to be true, but, after all, this was inevitable. He just never thought it would be so easy for them to accept.

They finished up their lunch and started their trek back to the office. While they were waiting at a red light, he watched as she brushed some haphazard tendrils of hair out of her face and when she, without even looking at him, declared, "You can't being doing that for the rest of the day though."

Her comment took him off guard and he asked, "Do what?"

She let herself look at him out of the corner of her eye as a smile tugged on her lips, "You can't go around looking like you just won the lottery. No normal person smiles that much."

"I feel like I did though," he murmured close to her ear as he started to make his way across the crosswalk. He heard her chuckle followed by the sound of her heels clicking against the pavement. They hadn't even gone on the date yet and he considered himself a winner. What were the chances he'd meet her? Of all the millions of people, they were alive at the same time, they were together, and she just said yes to him. He felt like the luckiest man in the world.

It was hard, but he was able to reel his enthusiasm in for the rest of the day. Well, at least he was doing the best he could. He checked his watch more than he had in his entire life, for the first time actually wishing the work day would come to an end already. All he was doing was moving his gaze between a solved case file, a blank computer monitor, and his equally distracted partner.

When five came around, they both stood up in perfect unison before laughing in mutual embarrassment. He was just grateful to know Scully was just as enthusiastic about this as he was. She grabbed her bag, he locked the door, and they headed to the exit with an extra bounce in their step. They stood at the side of the road outside the Hoover Building as the first taxi drove up. He offered her his hand and helped ease her inside as he gave a reminder he knew neither of them needed. He just wanted to speak it into existence once more. "I'll be at your place at seven, okay? Don't forget, comfy clothes."

She smiled at him from her seat and pulled the door shut, winking at him through the window as an answer before the taxi drove away. He only had to wait a minute more before he got in his own taxi and had a moment to brainstorm what he was going to do tonight. He kind of regretted not asking her if she had a preference, but he did genuinely want to surprise her. If he had to place a bet on it, he'd guess surprising Scully was a rare feat, and he was always up for a challenge.

He rested his forearms against his thighs and watched glimpses of the city through the window, almost as if he expected to see a place with a sign that said "Take her here" in bright, bold letters. He really didn't know what type of date she'd want. What did teenage Scully dream about? He realized there was so much he didn't know about her. He knew she liked it when his tongue did that thing that made her legs quiver, he knew she liked it when he used his strength to move her body atop of his own, but he didn't know the first thing about how she liked to be romanced.

He could tell she liked the flowers from yesterday, his silent admission of love, but he figured bringing more to her apartment wouldn't be as much of a romantic gesture as it would be him starting a mini botanical garden in her apartment. Shit, he was really out of his element here. When _was_ the last time he went on a date? With a wince, he realized it hadn't been since Reagan was president.

The taxi dropped him off outside the convention center and his attention was drawn to a series of colorful flyers stapled to multiple wooden streetlamps. He read the advertisement and moved his gaze across the street to see if the flyer was accurate. _Perfect._ It was an unexpected choice for a first date spot, but something drew him to it. Now with a plan in mind for tonight, he confidently strode towards the parking garage to get his car so he could speed home and get ready.

The two hours between work and picking her up passed by in the blink of an eye. He didn't really know what to wear, so he just kept his work clothes on, sans the jacket and tie. He also unbuttoned the wrist cuffs so he could slide the sleeves to expose his forearms, hoping she'd think it was good enough. He spritzed on some cologne and that was pretty much the extent of his preparation. Then he drove over and sat in his car for half an hour before he thought he could go up and just be _reasonably_ early.

He didn't know why he was so nervous. He'd had plenty of conversations with Scully before, they spent alone time together every day, they were far more than comfortable in each others company. He just hoped she didn't see something in him tonight that turned her off or made her regret saying yes.

The way her eyes lit up when she opened the door told him that he had no reason to be nervous. "Hey," she greeted with an unusual shyness as she opened the door for him to come in.

"Hey," he responded as he took her invitation. As she closed the door, he took the opportunity to get a better look at her outfit. She was wearing a deep purple sundress that fluttered around the top of her knees as she moved with thin spaghetti straps that revealed her freckled shoulders to the world. She looked beautiful.

He must've said that out loud because she turned around and beamed, "Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself." As she passed by, he also saw that she'd applied her normal makeup on, making her eyes look sultry and intense, "I just need to grab my purse and then I'm ready to go."

Mulder couldn't help but notice she seemed shorter than usual and immediately saw why when she returned with her bag. He glanced down at her footwear and a snicker escaped his lips and echoed in the room. Scully was wearing thin, black sandals, but that wasn't what amused him, she had a series of bandaids adorning her achilles heel and a few other sporadically on her feet. She cocked her head in confusion before following his glance and giving him a playful glare. "Hey, those heels may have looked better, but they took a toll on my feet," she laughed, shifting her feet with slight embarrassment. "Do they look bad?"

He put his hand on her shoulder as he placed a kiss to her temple, "I think you look gorgeous." She smiled appreciatively and he took the initiative to open the door and offer a grandiose gesture, "Our night awaits, m'lady."

"Do I get a hint?"

"Nope."

The ride there was pleasantly comfortable. They talked about nothing and enjoyed every minute of it. The only time the chatter stopped was when that Elton John song came on the radio and they both took a silent moment to laugh at the irony. The damn _Lion King_ came out years ago, but the song seemed to be following them, background music that fit them perfectly.

After twenty minutes of driving, Scully started to get suspicious. "Mulder, are we just going back to the convention center?"

"No, not exactly," he teased. As they passed the building in question, he could tell her curiosity was just building. As the destination came into sight, he started to worry; would she think this was childish? Did she even like this kind of thing?

However, as the tinkling melodies started permeating the car and the flashing lights began dancing across her face, he saw her lean forward to get a better look. Her smile and enthusiastic tone were all the comfort he needed. "I didn't even know this was going on!"

He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car. "I didn't either until earlier today. I hope you don't mind, I thought it would be-"

He didn't even get to fully voice any concern he might have had, she was already unbuckling her seatbelt and giving him a smile brighter than any light he'd ever seen. "Mulder, I haven't been to a carnival since I was a kid," she laughed.

It was bold, but he thought his no-nonsense partner might enjoy something so silly and carefree. He just wanted to give her an opportunity to totally let loose. From the way she was impatiently waiting for him to get out of the car, he was willing to say she was happy with the idea. They deserved this bit of happiness, away from the cruel stress of their job.

They made their way to the front gates and Mulder payed for their tickets, surprisingly getting no resistance from Scully. Even more surprising, as they started walking into the festival, he felt her tiny hand slip into his, asking silent permission for this intimacy. She intertwined their fingers as she, Dana Scully, willingly held onto his hand. Just because she could, just because she wanted to. It was one of the best gifts he'd ever received.

He hoped that she couldn't feel how sweaty his palm was, but if she did, she didn't seem to mind. She was just wearing the same content smile he was. Mulder wanted to take a moment to commit this to memory; him and Scully, walking hand and hand proudly, illuminated by the flashing lights of carousels and tacky carnival games. To everyone who saw them, they looked like a happy couple. Then it really dawned on him, they didn't just look like a happy couple. They _were_ a happy couple.

Finally.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He was broken out of his tranquility as a woman in a cloak jumped out in front of them. "Now you look like a pair willing to see what the eyes cannot."

"You could say that," he laughed, sensing Scully's amusement. She glanced up at him and he felt like he could read her mind; ' _I can't take you anywhere.'_

"May I interest you in a reading?" the woman asked, already dragging them into her tent without hearing an answer.

"What type of reading?" Scully asked, but as the crystal ball came into view, the question was redundant.

The apparent psychic spun on her heel and ran a finger over Scully's cheek, "A reading into your future, my love." He had to applaud Scully, he knew how badly she wanted to laugh, but she kept a face of pure earnest.

"How many tickets?" he asked, pulling out the strand from his pocket.

"For the beautiful couple? I will do a discount. Two tickets please!" She exclaimed in her airy, almost cartoonish voice. Mulder complied and tried his best not to look at the sign that said ' _Reading: one ticket per person,'_ even though he knew damn well that's why Scully was biting her straining lip right now.

The woman stuffed the tickets in her cloak before dramatically sitting down, motioning for them to do the same across from her. "Beauty first," she declared, expectantly holding out her hands for Scully's.

Scully did her best to be polite as she gave the woman both her hands, up turning them so her palms were visible. The psychic gasped and stroked the lines of her palms with the utmost care. "My, my, these are talented hands." A juvenile chuckle escaped Mulder's lips and he felt Scully hit his leg with her own in a playful warning.

The woman didn't seem to notice and continued as if she was entranced, "You are reserved with your affection, but when you give it, you give your all." While he knew Scully didn't believe in this stuff whatsoever, let alone when it was in the middle of a carnival, he could see her cheeks tinting red at the woman's assessments. "You have loved a few times, but there will only be one love of your life. You, my lucky one, have a true soulmate. No matter what you will never let that go. Nothing about your journey in life is easy, nor will it always be pleasant, but you would have it no other way. If you don't want to do something, you would not do it. You are strong in your convictions."

They both jumped as the woman, as if possessed, let go of Scully's hands and clutched Mulder's. Her eyes shot open wide and she glanced at him with an amused grin, "My, my, my, you're a little spooky aren't you? A fox on a hunt."

Even he had his reservations about this, but that was just creepy.

She didn't wait for a response and just continued, "To say you're obsessive is an understatement, though it's not a bad thing. Obsession and loyalty can sometimes go hand in hand for you. You have been affectionate in your life, but you too will only have one true love." He involuntarily glanced at Scully with this comment and she looked away shyly. "Fate has not always been kind to you, but it has also given you the best gift of your life. Sometimes you should rest your eyes, when you're always searching, you might miss what's right in front of you. All sadness will pass, but you will let it consume you for bouts of time that, to your loved ones, will feel like an eternity."

She paused and released his hands before grabbing the crystal ball. Her eyes were closed and they took it as an opportunity to glance at each other, their smiles holding back both amusement and confusion. The woman sounded like she was spouting off a list of anecdotes, but some just happened to hit the right mark. Though, he supposed that's what the whole point of this was, stabbing in the dark and eliciting a response when one hits.

They snapped their attention back to her when she asked, "Does the name _William_ mean anything to either of you?"

"Both our fathers are named William," Scully offered.

"And her brother," he added.

"And it's his middle name," Scully said, gesturing to him.

The woman shook her head as if everything they said was wrong, "No, no, maybe that's how you know it now, but it's not how you will," Scully cocked an eyebrow at Mulder at the woman's babbling and he just shrugged.

"All paths will lead back to each other, even if that feels impossible, when you are seperate, it will always be temporary. There are many along your path; the skin-man, the dog person, and the woman who sings the songs of whales." He heard a snort and he looked over to see Scully holding her hand to her face, trying her hardest to reign in laughter, but struggling. The sight brought a smile to his face and he had to bite his lip to keep composure.

He felt Scully's hand grab his own and they squeezed each other hard, trying not to offend the woman with their blatant amusement. She didn't seem to notice, as she was doing a lethargic swaying motion before lifting up her head and asking, "Do either of you have any questions?"

There was a moment of silence before Mulder joked, pointing to the crystal ball, "Do you happen to have the winning Powerball numbers in there?"

The woman's voice lost the entrancing quality, instead becoming deep and gravelly, as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, "Honey, I wouldn't be here if it did."

They offered their polite thanks as they left her tent, only able to hold in their laughter a few feet. "It sounds like she thinks our life will be a disturbed _Wizard of Oz._ The skin-man, the dog person, oh and don't forget the woman who sings the songs of whales," Scully exclaimed, giggling openly in amusement.

"I don't know, never say never," he laughed.

She stopped for a minute, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Mulder," she stated with amused conviction, "please don't tell me you believed that woman?" She was trying to ask him seriously, but her lips were quirking at the edges.

No, he didn't. Well, at least not everything, but some sounded right to him. Especially as he looked into her bright blue eyes as her hair became fire under the shining lights. Scully was strong in her convictions. That was true. He was obsessive with his loyalty. That was just hitting the nail on the head. Did he think there would be one love of his life? Yes. And she was right here in front of him. He leaned down closer to her, so much so that he could smell the faint aroma of her favorite perfume, and teased, "Scully, she knew I was spooky."

She just rolled her eyes and continued walking with his arm now draping gently around her shoulder. Another thing he'd keep to himself; even though he liked to put his arm around her to have her near him, she was really the perfect height to rest on.

They walked around for a little bit, enjoying the sights of carnies juggling and children running around with their face painted like various jungle animals. Eventually, they stumbled to the entrance of the ferris wheel, much to Mulder's excitement. That's honestly what drew him here in the first place. What could possibly be more romantic than sitting in a tiny cart with Scully? Alone with just the comfort of the night air as the entire city of D.C glimmered below them. "Hey Scully, let's get on the ferris wheel!"

Her eyes darted from the wheel to him and back to the wheel again with an unreadable expression. "You want to ride the ferris wheel?"

"Come on, it'll be fun. Have you ever been on one before?" he asked as they strode towards the surprisingly short line.

"Um, n-no, actually I haven't," she offered, looking high up at the top of the wheel.

Before he could respond, the carnival attendant held out his hand for Mulder to put the tickets in as he gave a rundown to Scully, "Well, little lady, you're in luck. This here just happens to be one of the biggest ferris wheels in the carnie circuit."

"Oh really?"

"Yep, you can see the entire city from the top. You can even see where city life ends and the country begins, it's quite a sight" then he turned to Mulder and slapped him on the arm playfully, "but I have a feelin' that won't be the most beautiful thing you'll see while you're up there."

Scully looked flattered as Mulder agreed, and she took his hand as they stepped into the metal cart. It was essentially a bench with an enclosed area for their feet, but just a metal bar came down over their legs. It was quite open, but secure nonetheless. The man double checked the bar, gave them a thumbs up, and then they were slowly going backwards on the journey up.

Scully shifted slightly in her seat as she look in her surroundings, staying still with her back against the seat. "Have you been on one of these things before?" she asked.

"No, actually, it's my first time at a carnival. We didn't really go out to things like this when I was growing up," he admitted. She made a sound that she heard him, but didn't really add anything else.

They were probably a third of the way to the top when the skyline started to become visible. He nudged her with his elbow and pointed off in the distance, "Hey Scully, look. You can see the tip of the Washington Monument. See it?"

"Y-yeah," she responded shakily. He thought she sounded a little odd so he turned to look at her and saw she was sitting as deep into the plastic plush seat as she could possibly go. One hand was clenched in her lap while the other was still wrapped around his arm. From what he could tell, she was staring at his pant leg with surprising intensity. Her entire demeanor reminded him of how she usually acted on planes.

 _Oh, shit._

Realization dawned on him in a big wave and he immediately exclaimed, "Scully, are you afraid of heights?" His question grabbed her attention and her gaze flitted to meet his. Any curiosity was settled when he looked into her eyes, he knew how she looked when she was scared and this was a perfect example.

She attempted to smile reassuringly, but it just looked like a grimace. She also tried to shake her head, but she clearly didn't want to move her body in any way. Instead, she settled on a stammered, "N-no, no. Of course not." The carriage above them was filled with a teenage double date where the boys were trying to scare the girls by rocking in their seats. It was harmless, but it created an audible squeaking sound that made Scully jump in place and deathgrip his arm, destroying the weak mask she was trying to wear. She let out a self deprecatory laugh before admitting, "Okay, yes. I know it's irrational, but yes absolutely."

He knew she'd kill him if he said it outloud, but she looked absolutely adorable like this. Usually when she was scared, it was understandably so and in extremely unfavorable circumstances. However, right now, there was no real danger, just the two of them sitting on a carnival ride as Scully burrowed into his side. Special Agent Dana Scully, Medical Doctor, the woman who had looked into the eyes of evil, who had fought the most atrocious monsters, was currently digging her fingers into his arm because of a ferris wheel.

It was almost as if she was under the irrational assumption that if they started falling, he'd be able to catch her and protect her from injury, swoop her away like Lois Lane in Superman's arms. Or as if his arms wrapping around her would provide more protection than the metal bar resting atop their thighs. He started to understand why horror movies were so popular for dates. He loved feeling like he was her safe harbor, especially when she'd spent so many years being his.

He retracted the arm she was clutching and wrapped it fully around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him so that their sides were completely flushed. He offered his free hand to her and she clutched onto it like a lifeline. "Scully, why didn't you tell me?" he asked, trying to keep any traces of amusement from seeping into his voice.

"Because I'm having such a good time," she mumbled into his shirt.

"We're on airplanes all the time?" he posed, trying to assess her fear.

"I take an ambien as we go through security so I can be asleep before take off," she admitted.

Huh, he'd noticed, but he hadn't really considered it. He'd thought the few times she was awake, that she was just uncomfortable that she wasn't getting sleep, not that she was terrified. "What sparked your fear?" he asked, stroking his fingers through her soft hair.

She rested her chin on him so she could look up at him and the mere sight took his breath away. "I'm not sure, I've just never been a fan."

He kissed her forehead, deeply inhaling the comforting smell of her shampoo before reassuring, "You could have told me, it wouldn't have bothered me at all if you didn't want to go on this."

She smiled at him and ran her thumbs over his knuckles. "I know, but I wanted to experience this with you. I don't regret it for a moment, and look, the skyline truly is beautiful."

He took his gaze off her for a moment, realizing that they had reached the top of the ferris wheel. He truly could see everything, the Monument Building, the Capitol Building, the Hoover Building, but the man had been right. The best view was in his arms right now, so he turned back so he could look at _his_ everything.

In the comfort from her position in his arms, she was scanning the horizon, her eyelashes fluttering as squinted to take everything in. Then, as if she sensed his focus, looked back up at him, smiling when her suspicions were confirmed. Then, without warning, she scooted closer to him so that she could place a soft, warm kiss to his lips. It was as gentle as it was heartfelt. He pressed back and she opened her mouth softly in invitation. He felt her soft breath against the skin of his cheek as he ran his hands deeper into her auburn tresses.

He internally rejoiced at this moment, this was their first _real_ kiss. Not just a lead up to hot sex, but a kiss solely because they wanted to express their affection for each other. He loved it.

Apparently they both loved it a little too much because the only thing able to separate them was the attendant telling them the ride was over and it was time to get off. They jumped in their seats and looked around. Sure enough, they were on ground level, the attendant waiting expectantly so he could lift the bar as the people waiting snickered.

With an embarrassed laugh, they disentangled their entwined limbs and scampered off the ride, Mulder earning a congratulatory wink from the man as he passed. When they were in the middle of the dirt path away from the ride, he got to enjoy the swollen lipped, flushed face, thoroughly kissed expression on Scully's face. They made eye contact, but no words came to them to describe what they were feeling. Instead, they just let out a bit of embarrassed laughter as Scully grabbed his face between her hands. He thought she was going to kiss him again so he bent down, but stopped as her thumbs started rubbing his lips. _Ah,_ he was wearing her lipstick again.

When she was done, she took his hand in her own and started walking towards the rest of the carnival. As she took in the sights around her, he continued taking in her. His partner, his confidant, his lover, his life, standing right beside him proudly. Eventually, he noticed her eyes fixated on something and he followed her gaze to a mock shooting range. However, instead of bullets and targets, it was mini darts and a wall with balloons taped to it.

That little macho part of his brain that sought to please and impress her ended up being the driving force that brought them over to the stand. Mulder paid the man a ticket and grabbed three arrows. One balloon was a small prize, two a medium, three a big one. Naturally, he was aiming to get Scully a ridiculously huge stuffed animal that she didn't need. Aiming being the operative word that he just happened to be lacking with. The first dart bounced off the balloon, the physics behind that completely alluding him, then the second hit the cardboard in between two large balloons, one of which he finally hit with his last dart. He ended up getting a sparkly purple barrett that she playfully clipped her hair back with, somehow managing to make the most childish accessory look beautiful.

"Can I try?" she asked, expectantly holding out her hand for the ticket she knew he'd give her. He smiled and leaned against the counter to watch her, knowing damn well she was about to show off. Scully had the best aiming proficiency scores at the Bureau.

Thow, pop, throw, pop, throw, pop. It took a matter of five seconds for Scully to impress the man behind the counter and remind Mulder of reason 2398435 why he loved her so much. "See anything ya like missy?"

Scully turned instinctively and pointed to something in the corner that Mulder couldn't recognize. "Can I have that green guy?"

"Sure thing," the man said, grabbing it and handing it to her.

Scully offered it to him proudly with a smile on her face. "I finally got you what you always wanted. We can retire now," she joked as the plush green alien smiled up at him with a waving hand. "Too bad it's not realistic. If only it were grey." God, he loves her.

With that last comment he swooped down and picked her up around the middle, the alien getting crushed in their embrace as he kissed her passionately on the mouth. While it only lasted a fraction as long as the last one, it left them both breathless. "Wow, if I had known this was the way to your heart I would have shown you my dart skills a long time ago," she laughed while her feet dangled a foot off the ground.

 _I love you._

The words wanted to come out of his mouth, but they got caught in his throat. Was it too soon to say it on the first date if it had been years in the making? He didn't know, and he didn't want to risk it. This night was perfect so far and he didn't want to taint it by declaring a truth that had a series of consequences attached to it. Even if the benefits completely outweighed it. He could see it in her eyes regardless. She knew.

"What can I say? Your demonstration of womanly power makes me weak to your will," he teased, setting her back down on the ground, holding the alien preciously in one of his arms.

"I'll keep that in mind," she purred with a wink as they continued their path.

The carnival was starting to close down, lights dimming, children sleeping on their parents shoulders, but Scully still managed to find one last thing for them to do. "Hey, Mulder. How many tickets do we have left?"

He looked around to try to see what she was alluding to, but didn't see any stands near them. He checked his pocket and showed her two remaining tickets in his grasp. It seemed to please her because her because her face lit up and she pointed to a man sitting on a stool by himself. "Could we do that?"

Upon further inspection, he saw the seats in front of the man, along with the tote and easel beside him and Mulder felt his face light up too. She wanted to get a caricature of them. "Absolutely," he answered, following her already moving body to the area.

The sign said "Caricature in Five Minutes or Less" accompanied by a series of exaggerated portraits of celebrities ranging from Jodie Foster from _Silence of the Lambs_ to O.J Simpson wearing an orange jumpsuit. They gave the man the tickets and sat side by side in front of him, their faux alien baby sitting upright in Scully's lap. The artist stared at them for a moment before putting the magic marker to the canvas. "So, how long have ya been married?" he asked.

They both let out a shy chuckle and Scully responded, "We-," she paused for a second before a mischievous smile took place of the shy one, "six years actually."

He looked over at her and saw her shrug with amusement. "Yeah, I figured as much. Ya look plenty comfortable with each other. So how'dya meet each other?" he asked, pulling out a reddish orange marker and marking furious lines, presumably drawing Scully's hair.

"We actually work together, we're partners," he answered, trying to discreetly tickle Scully's side to make her move, only to get elbowed in return.

"Where at?"

"We're actually FBI agents," she admitted, trying not to let laughter seep into her voice.

This made the man pause for a second and look at them in confusion. "Whaddya mean? Like you're playing FBI agents in a film or somethin'?"

"N-no, like we are agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI agents," she explained.

The man's eyebrows shot up and he just shook his head and returned to the task at hand, muttering to himself, "Best lookin' feds I've ever seen, that's for damn sure."

They sat for only a minute or two more, having a hard time keeping their hands to themselves as the man finished up. Eventually, he stood up and put a protective cover over the canvas and handed it to them. Mulder appreciatively put a tip in the man's upturned hat and turned around to catch up with Scully, who'd walked a few feet away to get a better light on the picture.

He heard her laugh and immediately saw why when he looked over his shoulder. The man decided to theme their caricature, and, of course, there was extraterrestrial themed. The alien sitting in Scully's lap grinning heartily as a cartoon UFO shot over their heads in the night sky. It was honestly pretty good, as long as he humbly accepted the exaggerated nose drawn on his face. It was absolutely, 100% them. Little hearts around their heads and all.

"I love it," she declared proudly, stroking it delicately with her fingers as if it was her most treasured possession. She looked up at him to gauge his reaction and he pressed his lips against her once more. This was one of the best nights of his life.

He wanted to live in this moment forever.

 **They finally went on a date! I hope you enjoyed it and it wasn't too out of character! It's so weird having them actually enjoying life and, you know, be happy for once. I'd love to hear from you guys! Thank you so much for your time! -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	10. Admissions

**Author's Note: Yo, I am so sorry for the delay. People on Twitter probably heard, but my Grandma died, so I had to fly back to Iowa for a while, and then the week after my mom came to visit me. However, I am back, and I don't predict I'll have as big of a gap between chapters again! Hope you enjoy!**

 _Tomorrow is Saturday._ That was the mantra she kept telling herself as she sat in the passenger seat, stroking the green plush of the alien idly. There was nothing they had to do. They didn't have to go to work. They didn't have any plans set. _Tomorrow is Saturday, and she wanted to spend the entire day with Mulder._

Scully had so much fun on their date tonight, she couldn't remember the last time she had ever allowed herself to be so carefree and open. It was also nice being able to spend some quality time with Mulder. Not that the other times she spent with Mulder weren't quality, but usually they were a little too preoccupied for conversation, or it was work related. She enjoyed just simply _being_ with him. She enjoyed it so much, she didn't want it to end.

Scully knew he wouldn't tease her for asking, but she didn't know if it was a little too soon. They'd just gone on their first date after all. While she knew he had enjoyed the evening, she wasn't sure if he wanted time by himself. As she brainstormed, she watched as Mulder slid into his usual parking spot outside her building. Before she could say anything, he jumped out of the car and rushed around to her side so he could open the door for her. "What a gentleman," she teased with appreciation, taking the hand being offered to her.

"Are you going to take that little guy?" he asked, pointing to the prize she won as she eased out of the seat to stand next to him on the curb.

She shut the door behind her and shook her head, "Nope, I won him for you. I want you to keep him and think of tonight everytime you see him. Besides, I have this." She raised her other hand and showed she was still holding onto their caricature.

Using the hand he was holding to pull her into him, he toyed with the purple, plastic clip she still had in her hair before leaning down and kissing her softly on the lips. She didn't have a chance to respond as he leaned away and whispered, "I promise, I'm going to be thinking of tonight for a long time."

She blushed and followed his guiding hand into her apartment complex. Holding the door open for her _and_ walking her to her door, Mulder was really putting on his best behavior. It was oddly reminiscent of her high school days with the occasional nervous boy who would take her out. It would only be complete if her parents were listening on the other side of the door to monitor her.

But she was an adult, and they were completely alone, a fact she was happy about when she turned to tell him what a good time she had and he gently pinned her against the door with his body. "I had a wonderful time tonight, Scully."

"So did I," she responded. She felt like that sentiment didn't really encompass how much this meant to her, so she added a heartfelt, "I can't express to you how happy I am we did this."

Mulder beamed at her and took a glance at the caricature in her hand, fond of the memory that happened less than an hour ago. "You get to choose the place next time."

 _Next time._ He looked in her eyes, trying to gauge how she would react to that subtle implication and she just hoped her face wasn't betraying the extraordinary exuberance coursing through her body. "It's a deal," she stated confidently.

He moved his head to the side and covered his mouth with his hand to conceal a yawn. She chuckled a little bit and reached out for his hand when his attention returned back to her. "Tired?"

Sleepy Mulder smiled down at her and nodded lightly, "What can I say, all this fun and excitement wore out my old bones."

She watched as he yawned again and it gave her the confidence to request what was on her mind. "You should stay here tonight." It came out as almost a whisper, but from the way his lips twitched, he definitely heard it.

He got a playful gleam in his eye and leaned down so he was closer to her. "I thought you were too sore?" he asked in a low, sultry voice.

The dull ache between her legs she'd been feeling all day had been a pleasant reminder of the intense sexual tryst they had last night, but in this moment it was being, for lack of a better word, a total cockblock. Then again, it was really late, and she wasn't sure either of them had it in them right now. She playfully gasped at him and admonished in a joking voice, "Mulder! Are you just using me for me body?"

He closed the gap between them, pressing his lips lovingly against hers. Her back was flush to the wood of her door and she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him in place. She nipped at his bottom lip and he eagerly reciprocated, sliding his tongue against hers. The territory was becoming intimately familiar for them now. They were losing the nervous clumsiness they used to have and it thrilled her. They remained like that for a moment before he disentangled himself, panting against her wet lips, "Yes."

She laughed and playfully swatted his arm. He returned the laughter and she could see the humor in his eyes. He wiped a little bit of the saliva off her chin with the pad of his thumb before staring into her eyes for a moment. "You wouldn't mind?"

"You look like you can barely keep your eyes open. Why not just sleep here?"

"Are you sure?" he asked. She understood why he might be so disbelieving, she had spent weeks iterating that she didn't think sleepovers were a good idea, and here she was instigating one right after last night.

She decided to just be blatantly honest. She cradled one of his cheeks in the palm of her hand, happy when he leaned into it, and stated, "I _want_ you to stay here tonight."

Delight looks good on Mulder. He initially appeared shocked before the beaming smile returned to his face. "Really?" he exhaled through his upturned lips.

She turned around in his embrace and opened her door. "Ask me for clarification again and I just might change my mind." They both knew that was an empty threat, but it didn't stop Mulder from comically scurrying in the apartment after her.

When the door shut and she was back in the comfort of her apartment, the exhaustion really hit her. She covered her mouth with one hand and widely yawned, earning a laugh from Mulder. "You tired too?" he asked.

She set the caricature next to the flowers he'd given her. "Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you. This was one of the most fun nights I've had in awhile, but I'm beat." As she said this, she kicked off her shoes and padded to the bathroom, pleased when Mulder discarded his own shoes next to hers before following her down the hall.

Flicking on the light, she walked into the bathroom that was connected to her room and started preparing to go to bed. She removed her makeup with a wipe and unclipped her hair, running a brush through the short strands until it was both free of tangles and embarrassingly poofy. The entire time, Mulder stood in the doorway and watched her. She normally would have felt shy, but there was nothing intrusive or judgmental about his gaze. As he seemed to do more and more frequently now a days, he looked at her as if he was reading a chapter of an engrossing new book. With every gesture she made, she had his undivided attention.

She put some Crest on her toothbrush and started cleaning her teeth. As she was turning off the faucet, she felt Mulder's fingers rake through her hair and looked up to see his amused face looking at her in the mirror. "Fluffy," he chuckled.

He continued toying with her hair, trying to get it to stick out as far away from her head until she looked like a mad scientist. After she was satisfied, she rinsed the toothbrush under the sink before applying some more toothpaste and handing it to him. He took it with gracious appreciation and let go of her hair. "Thank you m'lady," he faux bowed as they switched places in front of the mirror.

Scully felt a sense of deja vu before realizing this was almost exactly how their day started; together in the bathroom, sharing the intimacy of normal routine. She watched him work her toothbrush in his mouth and then turned around to get into her pyjamas. It wouldn't do any good right now ogling over him and thinking about what she'd rather have his mouth be doing right now.

"Woul' oo 'ather I 'ear my 'oxers o' go comman'o?" he garbled through the foam in his mouth. She laughed at his nonsensical question as she slid her dress over her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm not fluent in that language," she teased, opening up her closet doors.

She heard him spit in the sink, wash the brush off, and walk into the room before he clarified. "Would you rather I wear my boxers or go commando?"

Looking coyly over his shoulder, she saw he'd discarded his shirt and was currently unbuckling his belt. _Fuck she loved watching him do that._ In the sultriest tone she could muster, she requested, "I'd rather you wear nothing. Who knows? Maybe I won't in as sore in the morning, and I may want easy access."

He smirked at this. "Say no more." In one quick swoop, his underwear and jeans were around his ankles and he started stepping out of them. Even though she knew he was exhausted, she could see he was evidently quite aroused. She looked down and admired him before cocking her eyebrow in question.

"What can I say?" he mused, walking towards her. "I like being immersed in the Scully environment." Once he reached her, he ran his hands up and down her bare sides, being gentle of her bruises while teasing the goosebumps that raised in his wake. He leaned down to her ear and murmured, "Especially when the woman of the house is nearly-naked in front of me and propositioning me."

She non committedly returned her gaze to the pyjamas in front of her and joked, "Propositioning you? Oh, is that was I'm doing?"

His hands slid around her abdomen, wrapping around her in a backwards hug. His thumbs played with the undersides of her breasts as his erection pressed into the flesh of her back. He nuzzled his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply, "God, I hope so." He moaned the request like he hadn't had his face buried between her thighs just this morning and it made her question how tired she actually was. She just smiled and went to grab a silk shirt off a hanger, only to be stopped mid-process by his hand grabbing hers. "You're not the only one who'd like easy access." As he said this, the fingers of his other hand slid under the elastic of her underwear on her hip, requesting permission to tug them down.

As an answer, she simply retracted her hand and let her head fall back onto his chest. She could feel his lips curve against the skin of her neck before he pulled her panties down, kneeling as she stepped out of them. A surprise gasp left her lips as he picked her up bridal style and walked over to the bed. Mulder pulled back the covers and deposited her gently on the mattress. She thought he was going to walk around the bed, but instead he just hoisted one leg over her, straddling her momentarily, before sliding under the covers next to her. He reached down with one hand, grabbing the edge of the comforter with his hand and brought it up to cover them.

She reached over and pulled on the cord of her lamp, plunging them into darkness. Since her eyes hadn't adjusted, the only sensations she could focus on was the sound of Mulder's breath and the feeling of him settling against her in the bed. She vaguely recalled a case a few years ago where, due to his poor planning, they ended up having to share a queen bed, much like this one. She hadn't slept a wink that night, too painfully aware of the man laying next to her. He was even fully clothed that time. They spent the entire night practically hanging off the edges of the bed to avoid making the other uncomfortable. She smiled to herself at how far they'd come. Now he was laying in her bed, naked, and was wrapping his arms around her bare body while resting his head on her shoulder.

"What're you smiling at?" he asked in a voice losing the fight against sleep.

"How do you know I'm smiling? It's pitch dark in here."

"I can sense it."

She was pretty confident that he wasn't able to sense her eyes rolling at his cryptic response and gave him her honesty, "I'm just happy you're here. That we're doing this."

The night always had a way of bringing out the truth that usually hid in its depths. Maybe it was the comfort of the darkness. Maybe she was still riding the high of her happiness. Maybe it was the way her heart leapt as he clung to her like a child.

He was silent as she presumed he fell asleep. That is, until his vulnerable whisper tickled the skin he was resting on. "I never thought this would happen."

The answer was a bit vague, there was a lot of possibilities for what the word 'this' could be referring to. "Never thought what would happen?"

"Any of this," he stated simply. He was so confident in that sentiment it hurt her heart, not because he'd felt that way necessarily, but because she empathized with the sentiment completely. Sometimes she still feared she would wake up one morning to find out this had all been a dream. The thought of going back to a life where she desperately hoped he'd call her with some ridiculous theory at midnight just so she could hear his voice, where the most intimate touch he'd give her was a hand resting on the small of her back and that touch alone would set her on fire, where thinking he loved her felt like looking at a Rorschach Test, going back to that felt too devastating to bear.

"I never thought I could hold you like this, or that you'd share the most vulnerable parts of yourself with me." She nuzzled into him, reaching her hands up to lightly grab his arms. She leaned over a little and placed a kiss to his cheek before settling back in. It was quite for another moment and she was starting to drift off to sleep when he whispered, "I never thought you would love me."

Her eyes opened back up, though she was met with nothing more than the midnight darkness, infiltrating her senses almost as much as his words just had. "Mulder," she whispered back. She didn't know if they were whispering to avoid breaking the tranquility of the night, or if it somehow lightened the weight of their words. "I've loved you for so long I can't remember what it's like not to."

More silence. She had no doubts he was awake this time. She felt a water droplet on her shoulder and it was the only way she knew he was crying. He didn't draw attention to it though, so she didn't either. She was glad he extended the same courtesy to her when she decorated his arm with a series of matching water marks. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her temple. "I love you so much."

She just smiled and burrowed impossibly closer to him and they just laid there embracing one another. What more was there to say? She wrapped her arms around him tighter and felt as his breathing evened out. She felt tired herself, but her mind was still replaying his declaration over and over again. _I love you so much._

This isn't fair; Mulder had officially ruined the appeal of dreams for her. What was the purpose of drifting off to a slumberland when everything she had ever wanted existed in the waking realm? Sure, she may have dreams of blissful times with Mulder, that's been a recurrence for years, but now dreaming meant she had to leave the loving man holding her in her arms. Her eyes had finally adjusted too, and the first thing she could see was Mulder's sleeping smirk.

She didn't know when she fell asleep, but, in what felt like the blink of an eye, the morning sun was kissing her skin through the blinds. She clenched her eyes shut and stretched her limbs on the bed, earning a few satisfying 'pops'. A loud rumble made her realize what might have woken her up. She rolled her head onto her shoulder and saw Mulder laying on his back, his chest rising and, with each fall, a snore tore through the silence of the room. It was oddly endearing.

Her eyes trailed down his body and she realized she'd accidentally stolen the blankets from him in the night, for his body was starkly revealed to the morning light. She didn't know if she'd ever get over the sight of him. He was so lean and graceful, the body of eros. Hung like a god too.

She knew what it was, Nocturnal Penile Tumescence. It was a sign of healthy sexual health. It wasn't necessarily sexual, it was just the body's blood pressure evening out, especially to the groin region. However, something told her from the way his arm was sprawled over her chest, unconsciously flexing on her left breast, this could easily also be a part of arousal.

Banter from last night rang in her mind, and she shucked the covers off her body so she could maneuver down the bed, careful to avoid jarring him too much. Scully eased herself so her face was next to his erection, her body resting parallel to his leg. She hadn't _really_ looked at it upclose. Sure, she'd gotten up close and personal with his penis during their time together, but this was her first time really getting to admire him.

He was big. Not saying he could go head to head with a pornstar, no pun intended, but he should definitely be proud. He was firm and rigid, standing unwaveringly straight in the air, almost starting to curve up to his abdomen. Speaking of curve, the end of his penis slightly curved upwards, it was almost imperceivable until it was rubbing right against her g-spot deliciously.

All in all, his cock was beautiful.

She delicately raised her hand and traced a prominent blue vein from the base of his shaft to his pretty pink head. He twitched in response, but continued to snore. Scully watched in fascination when, as she slid her finger back down until she was in his trimmed pubes, a drop of clear precum oozed out of the slit on his tip. She raised her finger and let the pad of the digit touch the dampness, spreading it around.

He bucked up lightly, but still hadn't woken up yet. She decided to get a little bolder and moved to straddle one of his legs, hovering over him. She let a bit of saliva accumulate in her mouth before she let it fall from between her lips, onto his erection, mixing with the precum as it rolled lewdly down his shaft. She used the flat of her tongue to lap at it before taking him fully in her mouth.

She was immediately greeted with a sound that was most definitely not a snore. A guttural, uninhibited morning groan ripped from his throat as he came to consciousness. In greeting, she hollowed her cheeks and started bobbing up and down. What she couldn't quite reach with her mouth, she let her clenched fist take care of, bobbing up and down in time with her mouth, twisting for a little extra sensation as her other hand fondled his balls.

A hand reached down and entangled in the hair near her temple, cupping her head as she continued her ministrations. "Good morning to you too, Scully."

She didn't let up, this was honestly one of her favorite things to do. She loved feeling him throb inside her mouth, the taste of his saltiness, the way his whole body seemed to quiver beneath her. It aroused her to no end. She let her body lower as she let her tongue circle around his head. He had to have felt her wet arousal his his thigh, because he bent his leg so she could start rubbing herself on him.

It felt almost juvenile, riding his leg, getting turned on from his rough skin hitting her sensitive clit, but she needed this right now. She released him from her mouth, intending to nibble on the skin under his head, when she felt him lean up, grab her from under her armpits, and drag her up his body so that she was straddling his hips. As he did so, her upper thigh rubbed against his, and she felt herself wipe the pool of arousal she'd left in her wake.

She adjusted her position over him and bent down to kiss him. She always loved that Mulder wasn't the type of man who refused to kiss after a blowjob. In fact, she suspected that it turned him on to taste himself on her lips. Her theory was only further backed up right now as he kissed her with fervent desire. She was the first this time to have to break away and gasp for air. As she panted above him, he brushed a tangled strand of hair away from her face. "Scully, I gotta say. This is so much better than my alarm clock."

She rolled her eyes as she reached a hand down in between them to find his cock. The prior humor left his face and was replaced with a hazy, lust filled gaze. Before she could reach him, he grabbed handfuls of the meat of her ass and rubbed her against him. His erection was trapped in between them as her cilt dragged along his length. She felt like her eyes practically rolled to the back of her head, and they might have from his amused, breathy exhalation. "Honey, you're so close. I want you to be ready and plenty wet before I go in you."

She didn't give the pet name much though in the moment, aside from thinking about how much of a fucking turn on it was in the moment. He had to have known how wet she was already, but she was touched at how considerate he was being of her tenderness right now, albeit, she did feel much better already. The word 'wet' leaving his lips made a gush of arousal leave her lips and coat him moreso. Now as she rubbed against him, a slick, erotic sound filled the air.

He kept kneading her ass as they rocked against each other, almost moving with frantic desperation. She bit her lip as beads of sweat started gathering at her brow. She was close and they were both _very_ aware of that fact. Mulder was staring at her with an arousing focus and it only fueled her. His gaze on her body warmed her more than the morning sun ever could.

She felt the warm coil in her gut tightening and with Mulder's th tight hot coil building deep in her gut and it was only a matter of time. The look in his eye took on an almost devious quality as they rocked against each other vigorously. "Cum for me," was all he had to say, in that warm, husky tone, to have her back arching with a blinding hot orgasm. She heard herself primally growl in pleasure and she heard Mulder moan from seeing her in such an animalistic state.

She was spasming against him and he continued rubbing himself against her pulsating core to prolong her orgasm. As she was coming down he slid into her and she actually screamed I'm surprised pleasure.

"Are you okay?" He panted, rotating his hips against her, but avoiding pounding into her. Yet.

"God, yes," she whimpered as she started moving against him. He moved one hand up to her breast as he watched her with rapture. She didn't know what to focus on more, the sinfully erotic feeling of him stretching her to the brink of insanity, or the tingling radiating over her entire body from the pinching and pulling of her nipples. She leaned closer to him and he got the hint to have his other hand join her neglected breast.

She was biting her lip to avoid making a sound with every thrust, she just felt so good she could barely help the porinographic sounds she was emitting. Much to her initial distress, he removed his hands and placed them on her back. Then, suddenly, he rocked up so that he was in a sitting position. She lost leverage to thrust against him, but he picked up the slack. Somehow, even from his position, he was able to continue pounding into her, undulating his hips to hit all her sweet spots.

From this new position, she could admire the pink tint of his cheeks and the black dilation of his eyes which, as always, were amorously trained on her. Her nipples grazed his chest as the bounced from the force of their momentum. In juxtaposition from the frantic vigor of their lovemaking, he gently raised his hand to cup her cheek in his palm. She was doing her best to rock her hips against him, resting her hands on his shoulder for support as he played with her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.

Then his digit started to prod in between her lips and she accepted it without hesitation, never breaking eye contact with him. Just like she had with his dick less than ten minutes ago, she hollowed her cheeks and started sucking on his thumb, swirling her tongue around it.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the erotic image, that is, before they rolled to the back of his head. He curved his thumb in her mouth and she opened it, not giving a damn that saliva was getting on her chin. As she opened her mouth, a breathy grunt came out with it and it caused Mulder to flip her on her back and start thrusting without abandon, ravishing her neck with kisses.

She raised her legs so that her knees were gripping his upper torso as she hooked her ankles on his back. She felt so small under his weight and she felt her orgasm building. She did it once before, but that was before last night's admission, and she had tried to cover it up in the moment. Now she wouldn't. As he leaned away to get a better look at her face, his lips beautifully swollen from his assault on her neck, she declared between pants, "I-love-you."

His body stilled and his mouth dropped open, even in mid orgasm he reciprocated mangled words that she understood to be reciprocation. He pounded a few more times with languid rotations and she was quickly shuddering against him in harmony. He gently collapsed on his side next to her, watching her try to catch her breath. He raised his hand and stroked her sweaty hair out of her face. "You never cease to amaze me," he sighed.

She looked over at him and cuddled into him, "I should be the one saying that. That was mind blowing. I mean that. It's a miracle I can even remember my name."

"Have no fear, I'll always be here to moan it to remind you," he joked. She chuckled lightly as her eyes flitted shut. She was so comfortable in his arms, she didn't even realize she was drifting to sleep.

The next time she woke up, there weren't any arms wrapped around her and her senses were overwhelmed with the smell of food. She cracked one eye open and saw Mulder sitting cross legged on his side of the bed. _Wow, he spends one night here and sides of the bed are already being delegated._ "Good morning sleepy head."

She stretched and eased herself up into a sitting position, enjoying the sensations of being thoroughly fucked and sated. When she was up, she saw that Mulder had prepared, what looked like, an attempt at 'Breakfast in Bed'. There were eggs, toast, bacon, and juice on one of her cooking pans. She noticed a portion of it seemed to be eaten and that's when she noticed Mulder had a mouthful of eggs, which was why he had sounded weird.

She smiled at him and grabbed a piece of bacon, "Did you make us breakfast in bed, or did you make yourself something to eat while you watched me sleep?"

He grinned shamelessly 'Breakfast in, "Well it started off as the former, but was temporarily the latter."

"Sorry I fell asleep," she laughed in embarrassment. She had gotten a full nights sleep and yet she fell asleep instantaneously. He really wore her out.

"Don't worry about it, I did too. To be honest, it was quite flattering." She rolled her eyes before watching him take a drink. He looked a little funny with his nudity and fluffy bed head, but she loved it. She continued gazing at him in comfortable silence as they finished their meal ravenously, their passionate morning mixed with their hibernation really made them hungry.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" he asked, breaking her admiration.

She became hopeful from his question that he was going to ask her to spend the day with him, what she'd wanted all along. "Nope, I'm totally free."

He appeared pleased by this answer and started responding with, "Well, I was wonde-," but then they both heard the door of her apartment start to open. He looked at her questioningly and she just furrowed her brow.

She quickly got up and slid into her robe, tying it quickly before grabbing her gun off the nightstand. Mulder grabbed a towel off the hamper and tied it around her waist, following behind her. They had to look ridiculous, but she wasn't expecting anyone and she has had one too many weirdos break into her apartment for her not to be on edge.

They heard the door open and they rounded the corner quickly, she raising her gun as Mulder raised the cooking pan, as threateningly as one could raise a cooking pan. The unexpected guest hadn't turned around yet, but they didn't need to. Scully immediately lowered the gun and exclaimed, "Mom?"

 **Hope you liked it! I've missed you all dearly, and I can't wait to hear from you! Also, PSA for those that don't follow me on Twitter. I'll be updating Tomes Colliding soon as well! Thank you for your time! -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)**


	11. Out in the Open

**Author's Notes: Again, I'm so sorry, lol. It's been a tough, stressful semester. But, alas, here's another installment! I hope you guys like it!**

It was probably the fact he was so relieved it was simply Maggie Scully and not an intruder that led him to completely forgetting his state of undress. In fact, even as Mrs. Scully turned around to look at them, he presumed the sly smirk on her face was due to his ridiculous attempt at warding off an intruder with a standard cooking pan.

"Hello Dana, Fox," the elder Scully beamed.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Scully asked as she took a step to the side so she was standing in front of him. As he looked down to glance at her, he realized she was attempting to cover his towel-clad figure. The terry cloth hung loosely on his hips from haphazardly being put on, and he was still slightly _at attention_ from their intimate bedroom morning.

However, he practically dwarfed Scully in size, so her efforts went unrewarded. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," she apologized without sincerity, her eyes flicking back and forth between her robe adorned daughter and her coworker with unabashed amusement bordering on satisfaction.

"You didn't _interrupt_ anything, mom." She practically whined as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. It always amused him to see Scully with her mom. The two had such a close relationship, but it was only in this woman's presence that he got a glimpse into what a teenage Scully would have been like.

"Oh, I didn't?" she teased before turning her attention solely to him. "Hi Fox, honey. How are you?"

The corners of his lips drew up shyly at the fond use of him name. "Um, hi Mrs. Scully. I'm good, but too underdressed for your company. I'm going to go change and give you some privacy," he explained as he backed up. With the nervous way he was avoiding this situation, he felt like a teenager too.

He turned around on his heel to make a break for it, and the corner of the towel got caught on an end table. He didn't know whether he should consider himself lucky or not. The towel almost fell down, which would have been mortifying, but the only thing keeping it up was that it got caught and landed on his tumescence, which was a different type of humiliation being both Scully women were watching his unsuccessful exit. He quickly pressed his hand to his crotch to keep the towel in place and saw Mrs. Scully trying to repress a laugh as Scully's hand covered her face to hide her expression. He just sheepishly grinned and waddled carefully down the hall.

When he was back in her room he removed the towel and put back on the clothes he wore last night, which were scattered and strewn across her floor. As he changed, he could hear the two women talking. He couldn't make out any words, but occasionally he could recognized Scully drawing out the word "Moooom!" But for what reason he didn't know. He just laughed and decided to get ready for the day and give them more time.

After using Scully's toothbrush and comb, his phone started ringing from the end table by her bed and he ran in to get it. "Mulder."

The sound of Frohike's voice twinged from the speaker, "Hey, Mulder. Do you still have those magazines I lent you?"

Mulder sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He'd borrowed a series of old WWII magazines for research a few weeks ago and constantly was forgetting, or was too busy, to bring them back. "Frohike, I'm so sorry, yeah they're at my apartment."

He was glad his friend was as forgiving towards him as he was helpful, "That's fine. Do you mind if I swing by to get them?"

"Yeah that's fine, but use your key, okay? I'm not sure what my plans for the day are and I might be away for most of it." Scully and him were just about to establish the rest of their day before her mom came, and he desperately hoped it wouldn't derail their potential time together even though that's all they'd been doing lately. Much to his personal delight.

He bit his lip as he worried if he was taking time away from Scully and her mother. He knows how important family is to Scully and he'd hate to intrude on that. He decided it might be for the best if he let them have total alone time, so he grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone and stuffed them into his pants pockets. When he walked back out to the dining area, he smelled coffee and saw a red faced Scully with shamelessly happy Mrs. Scully, who was standing by the flowers he'd gotten her.

Scully noticed he'd gotten ready to go and her brow furrowed slightly, but before she could say anything, Mrs. Scully asked, "Fox, did you get these for her?"

"Oh, yeah. I did." He walked over to Scully and took the mug being extended out to him. He took a sip and was touched she'd prepared it exactly how he liked it. Always the observant one.

"Do you know their meaning?" she asked.

"Mom!"

He felt heat rise to his cheeks as he recalled the excessive time he spent learning the meaning of every single flower, choosing the one he felt was right. Those few days ago felt like a lifetime. Back when he got them, the thought of Scully loving him felt like a cruel, intangible fantasy, but he just wanted to do something subliminal to let her know. When the shopkeeper told him they symbolized secret love, sometimes unrequited love, he thought it was perfect. A way of saying 'I love you, but I understand it's not mutual.'

He wasn't about to reveal all that in front of them, so he simply smiled said, "I believe I do."

Scully looked at him, trying to read him as her mom smiled wider. "They're the flowers for a secret love, sometimes felt to be unrequited." Now he saw where Scully got her blunt inquisitiveness from.

"That's what I thought." That was all he said as he took a sip from his mug, trying to play off any awkwardness that admission might bring. He nearly jumped when he felt a small hand intertwine with his own dangling at his side. He took his lips off the mug and looked down at her. She had a sweet smile on her lips and a small twinge of sadness. Sadness that he could have ever believed something like that.

"If you don't mind me saying. I think it's fitting these ones are dying. They need to be replaced anyway." Mrs. Scully told them, stroking the petals that had fallen on the table top. She took a good look at both of them before adding, "I think you could find new flowers with a more accurate meaning."

Scully smiled and looked away, but didn't let go of his hands. Then she took both him and her mom by surprise when she laughed and said "You're right," before turning into him and wrapping both her arms around his middle in an embrace, pressing her cheek against his shirt and nuzzling into him.

He was shocked she was being so open with her affection in front of another person, but he didn't want her to let go, so he slid his free arm around her and ran his hand up and down her back as a shy smile broke out on his face. He looked over towards Mrs. Scully and she was staring at him with total adoration. No one understood how monumental it was for Scully to open up than her.

"You guys make such a beautiful couple."

Scully nuzzled deeper and he responded, "Everything's beautiful when Scully's involved." Both women in the room groaned loudly and he added, "Cheesy?" He felt Scully's affirmation against his side as Mrs. Scully laughed.

They stayed for a while, simply enjoying each other's company. Apparently Mrs. Scully just hadn't heard from Scully in a while and wanted to stop by and check on her since she was in town anyway. Mulder was just glad he didn't have to leave, and he was even more glad that Scully, once deciding she could be open in front of her mom, was _extremely_ open. The entire time they sat around talking, Scully sat right by his side and was constantly touching him affectionately in some way, whether it be holding his arm, playing with his hair, or kissing his shoulder.

Everytime she did this, he couldn't help but beam in happy contentment. He hoped that he didn't look like a statue, he was just so happy this was happening that he didn't want to do anything that might make her stop. The look of adoration on Mrs. Scully's face told him he looked just fine. After the coffee was depleted and all the family gossip was caught up on, Mrs. Scully gave them a few blessing words before leaving them alone once more.

"You surprise me."

"Hmm? Scully hummed as she rinsed out the mugs and set them on the counter.

He walked over to her and nuzzled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and inhaling her hair while he watched her dry the mugs. "You were so physically affectionate with me in front of your mom."

He thought he might've hit a nerve when she suddenly set everything down, but then she pivoted in his grasp so she could wrap her arms around his neck. She eased herself up on her toes to press a sweet kiss to the tip of his nose and then another to his lips before easing herself back down.

He was taken aback for a moment at how beautiful she looked. She still hadn't changed from their bed rendezvous, she was still wearing her light robe, her hair mussed from sleep, and her face devoid of makeup, revealing her light freckles smattering across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were focused on him and their intense, clear blue felt like they pierced him and he was almost overwhelmed from their sole attention. "Mulder," she began with a low whisper, "I've spent so long loving you from afar," her bottom lip pouted a little bit in emphasis as she ran her hands up and down his arms, "I want to touch you, and hold you, and kiss you, and love you now that I know I can. I know we won't be able to out there, but in the sanctity of my apartment or in front of my mother, I want it to be known that I'm yours."

She'd flitted her attention down to his shirt collar as she explained her rationale, her visual nervousness juxtaposing the confidence of her words. It seemed unreal how much he loved this woman. Scully was the strongest person he knew, tough as nails, and walls built out of steel hiding her emotions, hiding herself from the cruel world that had done nothing but betray her. He didn't know what he did to be lucky enough to be the recipient of her love, to be given a key to get behind her walls, but she was the most important thing in his entire life and he just wanted to keep her here in his arms forever.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her warm velvet ones. He felt her start to deepen the kiss, her tongue darting out to lick his bottom lip, but he pulled back, wanting to get out his sentiments too. "Scully, I love you so much." Her lips quirked up as she repeated the phrase back to him.

"I was thinking," he started, brushing some hair behind her ear as he spoke.

"Hmm?" She hummed, nuzzling into his hand. He'd never realized how cat-like Scully was, he raked his hands against her scalp and she closed her eyes in pleasure.

"If we both are free today, I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date? Late lunch, early dinner, something like that," he rambled, looking at the clock to try and gauge what it would be. "Then, after that we could go to my apartment and watch a movie?" he posed.

"Will there be after-movie physical activities? Or are you a little too worn out for one day?" She teased.

"I am more than willing to accept your suggestion. Scully, I'm ready to go more times than I want to be every single day because of you."

"I've caught that a few times throughout our partnership over the years."

"You saw?"

She threw her head back and her laughter sounded like music, even though it was at his expense. "Oh Mulder, you're talented at so many things, but concealing your boners is not one of them I'm afraid." He laughed with her and let her go reluctantly so she could go get ready and he finished doing the dishes while she was away.

Mulder took them a little farther away than he normally would have for a casual meal. He wanted to put some distance between their date and the city crawling with people who might recognize the Spookys. She didn't mind, and in fact seemed appreciative of the longer than normal drive. They spent the car ride idly chatting about their favorite this or their favorite that, both parties frequently catching the other one staring before darting their attention back to the road.

He settled on a nice italian place he'd heard of and was relieved when Scully seemed excited. It was nice, being able to finally take her out in public. She was apparently eager to indulge herself too, because through the whole meal she kept holding his hand and beaming at him. He was sure he was doing the same. There wasn't a doubt in his mind they looked like a couple in love.

After the meal, they walked around the streets a bit, hand in hand, simply enjoying being together. At Scully's request, they stopped by an ice cream shop and got a milkshake to share, choosing to drink it outside. "I'm having a great time," she stated without provocation.

He looked up, letting his straw drop from his mouth as she played with hers, a content smile on her face. He laughed shyly, happy but confused about the random validation. "Me too."

She let one hand fall onto the table, palm up, and he let his own much larger hand fall into her grasp. "I'm scared."

Her words surprised him and he was worried about what she meant, but he just squeezed her hand in reassurance and asked, "About what?"

"I'm just so, so happy right now. I mean-" she paused for a moment as she searched for words. He let her take her time as he stroked the skin on the back of her hand. "Just, this is a dream come true and I'm scared things will change when we have to start living in reality again. I feel like these past few days have just been perfect. I'm just-" she sighed, fading off.

"Nervous?" he prompted and she nodded, avoiding looking at him. "Scully," he whispered, taking their joined hands and kissing the back of her hand until she met his gaze. When she did, he pressed her hands against his cheek. "I'm scared too. But, we've loved each other for so long. We've fought, we've laughed, we've done everything a couple normally does but now we just have a new layer of intimacy. I think we've proven we can get through anything life throws at us."

She was smiling at him again, and even though he felt like he was fumbling with words that didn't do justice to the strength of his convictions, he was glad she seemed to find comfort in them. "But even if something does go wrong, I love you so much and would do anything to keep you by my side."

She pulled on their hands so she could bring them to her lips and press a kiss to his skin. "I love you."

"I didn't expect to see you both around these parts," a voice boomed from their side.

They jumped in surprise as they recognized the voice of A.D. Skinner. Their hands haphazardly disentangled from each other and came to a resting position in their respective laps. There wasn't much to do to conceal what type of outing this was, especially with the single milkshake with two straws in between them, and his jacket resting around Scully's shoulders. They were both tense in anticipation of the man's next move.

"Uh-what are you doing here sir?" Scully asked, finding her voice first.

"I was just in town visiting family," he stated. His eyes glanced from the drink to Mulder to Scully to Mulder's jacket on Scully. A knowing grin broke out on his face and he asked, "What are you two doing here?"

"Going over a case file."

"Sightseeing."

Their answers came in unison and they both looked at each other in slight panic before Mulder tried to cover it up. "We're going over a casefile and then wanted to take in some sights."

Skinner laughed good-naturedly and nodded. "Good to hear. Did you know this area is a hot spot for dates?"

"Oh really?" Scully asked, much in the way she did when their waitress told her that same fact an hour ago.

Skinner looked at her jacket one more time before nodding, "Yeah. I think that's good too. It's out of the way, secluded, and overall beautiful. Great for new couples who want time by themselves. It's better than in the city where it's crowded and dirty."

Mulder nodded in agreement and Scully responded, "That sounds nice."

"I have to get back to my cousin, you both look nice today. See you in the office on Monday." Mulder and Scully watched him retreat as quickly as he came and they looked to each other before letting out a huge breath.

His message was loud and clear. He knows they're dating. He supports them, but they can't flaunt their relationship around D.C. "Of all people to run into," he chuckled, adrenaline still running through him.

Scully shook her head in disbelief and laughed with him. They spent the last hour of their date simply enjoying being with each other. During the drive back he couldn't help but realize how pivotal this day was for them. Scully's mom now knew as well as their boss. Two people whose blessings definitely meant a lot.

That reminded him of something he'd been meaning to ask.

"Can I ask you something and can you promise not to laugh?"

She squeezed the hand not on the wheel in comfort, "I promise."

He didn't want to sound juvenile, and the words seemed inconsequential to their relationship, but the insecure part of him just wanted to be on the right page. "So, are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

He heard her make a weird sound and he took his eyes off the road long enough to see her other hand shoot to her mouth to cover a laugh and a huge smile. "Hey," he admonished jokingly, "you promised not to laugh."

She removed her hand but the poorly-repressed smile stayed. "I'm not laughing at you." She caught his eye and they both burst out into laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"I know the question sounds stupid. It's just- we aren't friends with benefits anymore, we're more, and I just want to make sure I'm not making any brash assumptions without your permission."

She was quiet for a minute and he let her think, hoping that she wasn't trying to formulate the best way to let him down. "You're my partner, my best friend, my constant, my touchstone, my love, my light. My boyfriend sounds as accurate as all the others."

Again, he realized how silly he was being, but he couldn't help but feel giddy at the confirmation that, indeed, _Scully was his girlfriend._ Scully, his, and girlfriend. Three words he never thought he could put into a sentence together, but three that made him ecstatic. "I love you," he said for the thousanth time this car ride alone.

"I love you too, my spooky boyfriend," she teased lovingly, rubbing her hand along his forearm.

When they eventually got back to his place, they parked in front of his complex and walked up together arm in arm. Mulder felt the excitment buzzing around them for a night full of movies and sweaty bodies. However, when he opened the door to his apartment, they immediately heard laughter coming from down the hallway. Scully glanced up at him with a furrowed brow until recognition dawned on them both. "I forgot, Frohike needed to pick up some magazines I borrowed from him." She nodded and they walked farther into the apartment, closing the door behind them.

He was confused what the were so amused by, it wasn't like he had anything entertaining or interesting in his bedroom. "Maybe they found the mirror on top of your bed," Scully teased.

He pressed his hand to the small of her back as they walked down the hallway and he leaned to her ear to murmured, "That's funny, I remember you having a very different, though equally vocal response when you found it."

She chuckled and slapped his arm lightly as they made their way to the doorway. Laughter, on all sides, dying when the groups met each other. "Uh, Langly, what are you doing?"

The three musketeers were gathered around looking at, what appeared to be, his boxers being held up with two fingers by Langly. Normally he wouldn't care about the guys poking fun at him, but, if this was a pair of cum-stained underwear from a redhead infused wet dream, he'd really rather not have Scully see.

Langly snapped his arm back so that the boxers were hidden behind his lankey form, the other two looking at each other with wide eyes. "Are those my boxers?" he asked, hoping to get some response.

He noticed Beyers' attention honed in on Scully before going back to Frohike, pointing to his lips and motioning back to Scully. When Frohike noticed whatever this impromptu caveman-gesturing was referencing, his eyes widened like saucers, mirroring Langly who noticed the same thing.

Scully must've noticed the attention being drawn to her because she sharply asked, "What?"

"Well, first we wanted to congratulate Mulder, then we wanted to hide his dirty deeds from you, but then we couldn't help but notice that's a really nice shade of lipstick," Langly beamed, turning the boxers around as he made this proclamation. Mulder sensed Scully's shock without having to see it, because it was the same shock coursing through him right now.

Langly was holding up the lipstick stained boxers from the night of the work event. When she was afraid of gagging on him, so she spent a generous amount of time sucking, nibbling, and lapping his length through the material of his boxers, leaving behind a series of lip shaped, obvious stains in the shape of his erection.

Mulder let out a shy chuckle and scratched the back of his neck as Scully stood in stunned silence. Before either of them could think of something to say, Frohike was rushing up to them and grabbing them into a big embrace. "Why didn't you tell us you two were finally shaking up?"

"Congratulations, we've always been hoping you would," Beyers offered with a sweet smile.

"Speak for yourself, I was always hoping Scully would come to her senses and realize the appeal of men not so freakishly tall," Frohike mumbled against Mulder's shirt begrudgingly as Mulder playfully slapped him on the arm.

"Speaking of, can you release the specific date? There may or may not have been a long standing bet that I have an investment in," Langly pried.

"You're betting down to the day?" Scully asked in disbelief.

"Gotta be through Sculls."

"Did you find the magazines?" Mulder asked, disrupting the inquisition.

"Oh, yeah. Thank you for keeping them safe by the way," Frohike responded.

"You know how much I enjoy you all, but I have a hot date tonight with my girlfriend and it definitely doesn't involve you three," he stated, tasting the sweet way 'girlfriend' rolled off his tongue.

Scully's sweet smile told him she enjoyed it too.

The three begrudgingly left, but not before giving their honest congratulations. When the apartment door was finally closed, Scully wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled against him. "So what movie are we watching tonight?"

"I chose last time."

She kissed his torso before moving over to his VHS collection, the clean one, and started shifting through them to decide. He just watched her in simple adoration. It was so domestic and so painfully comforting. He wanted to feel like this forever.

 **Side Note, wow, Spooky Empire was dope as fuck. I have made physical contact with Gillian Anderson. Oh. my. god. Also, everyone I was there was so nice! I was quite shy, so I apologize if there were people I missed. If you saw a girl with dark purple hair and a purple backpack with 500 patches and pins, that was me!**


	12. Red Tulips

**Author's Note: Ah, the time has come, we have reached the conclusion of** _ **Partners with Benefits**_ **.** **I'm sorry if this was totally unexpected for some people (as I am also sorry for the delay in posting), but it just felt like the right time. This of course could go on forever, but now that they are no longer Partners with Benefits, I feel that we have come to the end of our journey. It took me a long time to figure out how I wanted to end it, and I hope everyone likes it.**

 _One Year Later_

The whole time they'd been on this case, she couldn't shake the fact that this place seemed so familiar. From the long expanses of country, to the local's blind willingness to believe every bump in the night was a monster, it just seemed like a weird deja vu. She couldn't place it on her tongue, but after a while of fruitless brainstorming, she decided to blame it on every U.S. highway blurring into one entity in her mind.

But then she saw them.

"You have got to be kidding me," she groaned at the pair in front of her.

"Hey! You're that FBI lady who was super judgy," the girl said, holding her faux Bigfoot head in her hands.

She heard Mulder chuckle under his breath and she exclaimed, "Well pardon me as history repeats itself. It's a bit hard not to judge the scene in front of me right now."

It was those kids from all those months ago - the ones that had made crop circles in fields to try and scare the locals. The friends with benefits. "Let me guess, you guys were bored again?" Mulder asked, watching as the other teen took off the head of his Bigfoot costume.

The boy had the decency to at least look embarrassed at being caught. "Uh-yeah," he laughed shyly.

With a long sigh, Scully gestured for them to start walking. "Well, c'mon, you know the drill. We'll just have to confirm the Bigfoot sightings were all you." That's why they'd been here in the first place, the locals were in hysterics over seeing a "tall, black, bipedal creature lurking in the forest. Apparently the creature would simply stare at them before extending one arm out ward and bending the other one, burying their face in the crook of their elbow before running away. Mulder said it sounded like Bigfoot, she said it sounded like a prank. And just like last year with these kids making crop circles for fun, she was right.

They conceded and, to Scully's curiosity, interlocked hands before walking up the path, their suits making them appear to waddle with every step. She turned to shoot a curious glance at Mulder, but his hand was already on the small of her back and prompting them to follow.

Scully couldn't shake it. There just seemed to be something completely different about the pair. Last year, sure, they were friendly: laughing at each other's jokes, playfully shoving each other, and other general friendly pleasantries. But the pair in front of her was hardly recognizable in comparison. She decided not to give it too much thought and blamed it on the fact they were wearing hairy, huge, full-body suits.

Scully was able to forget about it, that is, until they met in the interrogation room and saw the huge diamond on her left hand. "You're married?" the question left her mouth before she had a chance to process it. Her question sparked Mulder's interest and he leaned with her over the table to look at the girl's hand.

"Yeah, engaged," she beamed, laughing in coy shyness.

"Congratulations," Scully smiled.

"Has that put a damper on your guys'... arrangement?" Mulder asked tactlessly. _Always coming with the hard hitting questions._

The girl laughed at his blunt approach, looking over at the boy as he slid his arm around her shoulder and revealing his own bedazzled hand. "Nah, not really since she's engaged to me."

"Wow," Mulder smirked, "I'm really happy for you both."

"Yeah," the girl sighed. "That whole friends with benefits thing I told you about last year was a sham."

"What?" Scully asked, surprised by the news and the girl's dramatic attitude shift.

"You don't remember? That's how I recognized you. When I mentioned it last year you looked like you wanted to die on the spot," the girl explained.

The guy laughed in response and tapped her arm lightly. "Yeah, yeah, she got all-" and then he made a face of abject horror that must've been their interpretation of her modest surprise.

Mulder chuckled at her side and she hit him lightly on the arm with the back of her hand. "Ha, ha. I remember. Your tune was just so different last year."

The girl's smile turned from mockery to sentimental reflection as she nodded and took her fiance's hand. "Yeah, well," she shrugged. "If I was being honest with myself, I didn't ask just because it was convenient or just because I was physically attracted to him."

"Why did you then?" Mulder asked, curious at the young woman's point of view since, without her, it may have been an eternity for them to get together.

"Because I loved him," she smiled sweetly. "I think I felt like with this arrangement I could almost _be_ with him in the way I craved without the fear of rejection."

"Aww, babe," her partner cooed, leaning in and planting a kiss on her lips. He pulled back after a beat and muttered, "I feel bad that you ever thought I would just want you for your body."

She giggled at his honesty and admitted, "It's kind of fucked up when I think about it like that. But, I'm glad it happened regardless. I mean, you guys understand," she shrugged pointing in their direction.

Scully's eyes shot up in shock and she looked at Mulder who looked just as surprised. "W-what?"

Yet again, she was across the table from these two getting laughed at. "Come on, it's obvious you took my advice. You guys are totally fucking."

Scully, so ready to defend herself, childishly stated, "Are not!"

"Whatever, you guys are so cute. You're obviously in love with each other."

She gaped, unsure of how it had been so obvious, when she felt Mulder's arm slide around her. "You're right," was all he said in reply, squeezing her gently against him.

The rest of the interrogation went generally uneventful comparatively. They just confirmed all seventeen Bigfoot sightings in the area were in fact a result of their boredom and made them promise they wouldn't be back in a year with a new hairbrained scheme.

On their way back from the case, completely unprompted in the car, Mulder reached out, grabbed her hand, and asked, "Do you think that will ever be us one day?"

"Are you basing life goals off a couple of punk kids?" she asked teasingly, knowing fully well what be meant but needing a moment to process it.

He laughed and shook his heads. "I mean, it hasn't been panning out that badly so far."

She smiled and let her head fall against the headrest behind her. "You know, I thought the same thing she did," Scully admitted.

"Hmm?"

"That I could just enjoy a sexual relationship with you. That it was the best I'd ever get, and I'd be fine with only half the intimacy I craved," she mused, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Scully," he murmured. "That makes me sad," he mused with a pout.

She smiled at his expression and shrugged, "I'm just being honest."

"I've loved you for so long," he admitted, for the thousandth time as he placed a kiss to the back of her hand.

"I love you too," she reciprocated, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment.

After a beat, he prompted her again. "So," he murmured. "Do you think that might be us one day?"

"Engaged? Married?" she asked to make sure.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"With you, I've learned nothing is out of the realm of extreme possibility," she mused.

The answer seemed to satisfy him, because he smiled sentimentally and didn't press any further. She knew he wasn't asking because he was preparing to get down on one knee anytime soon, that wasn't how they worked. It took so many years just for them to get to this point, something as big as that was definitely far off. He was just Fox Mulder and he wouldn't be the same if he wasn't curious.

He drove them all the way back to her place and kissed her sweetly on the lips before getting out of the car. "Do you still have that takeout from last night?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's in the fridge," she answered, making her way around the car and grabbing his outstretched hand.

When they reached the door to her apartment, she slowed down as she noticed a red mass in front of her. "Mulder, what's this?" she smiled as she realized it was a big bouquet of flowers.

"I don't know. Maybe we should investigate," he teased.

She bent down and picked them up, all the while scanning for a card. Eventually, her hand came into contact with a piece of parchment and she quickly pulled it out.

 _Dear Scully,_

 _I love you with all my heart. Every moment we spend together feels like the best moment of my life. My admiration for you is endless._

 _Love, Mulder_

He never ceased to surprise her with his endless sweetness. She felt her eyes grow damp as she beamed up at him. "I love you so much," she whispered, easing up onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips.

"I'm glad they were here," he joked, taking out his key to unlock her door. "I was afraid someone might take them.

She walked into the open door and tried to figure out what the flowers were. Last time he'd gotten her flowers, he was trying to express with melancholy that he understood his love was unreciprocated and he was okay with that through the language of flowers. For a genius, sometimes he could be so thick-headed.

"Tulips?" she asked, finally recognizing the shape of the petals.

"Mhm," he answered closing the door and locking it. " _Red_ tulips."

She stared at him with playful eyes before finally just asking. "So, what do they mean?"

He slipped into the kitchen and pulled out their food as he shyly smiled. "True Love. Eternal Love. Undying Love," he answered. "Depends on what you want them to be, I was told."

The image of Mulder standing in a flower shop and explaining, " _I need flowers that will tell my girlfriend that I will love her for forever and all eternity. Oh, and can I get a nice vase?"_ was unbelievably endearing to her.

"I think they all apply," she replied, setting them in the middle of the dining table. "You're becoming quite fluent in the language of flowers, Mulder."

"What can I say? My love for you can't be contained to just one language, mi amor," he joked.

"That's sweet," she smiled. "Ich liebe dich."

"Ti amo anch'io," he responded, the words sounding unbelievably sexy.

"Mine sounded significantly less attractive than that just did," she laughed, joining him in the kitchen.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," he smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him in a kiss.

She'd never get tired of this. Mulder was nothing if not loyal and dedicated, and being at the center of his fixation was more than she could have ever hoped for. Mulder was such an attentive lover, and she was pretty sure nothing got him off more than giving her pleasure. Over their year being together physically he seemed to have honed in on everything she reacted to: what she liked, what made her toes curl, what made the neighbors bang down the doors telling them to keep it down.

It was, without a doubt, the best sex of her entire life, and it was seemingly endless.

She gasped as he moved from her mouth to her neck, nibbling on her pulse point. "Mulder," she chuckled breathily. "The food."

"The food can wait," he murmured, stepping to the side and swooping her up with one hand under her legs and one supporting her back.

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing kisses to his jawbone as he made his way to their bed. He gently laid her down in the middle of the bed and whipped off his shirt before crawling on top of her, letting his body weight press against her and allowing his hard on to press into her belly.

"You," he punctuated by lifting her sweater and kissing her lower stomach, "are," her bellybutton, "so," in between her breasts, "beautiful," her lips, helping the garment up and over her head so he could fully explore her mouth.

She felt that warm coiling in her gut start and she lethargically rocked her hips against him, feeling him grow harder against her. The movement caused his breath to shudder against her cheek and he moved to nip at her bottom lip, watching mesmerized as it clung to his from the suction before snapping back into place.

He moved down her face and resumed his ministrations on her jawbone and neck as he slowly thrust against her, angling his hips so he rubbed fully against her clothed center. "Mulder," she gasped, her eyelids flickering shut as she felt her arousal soak through onto her panties.

He kissed back down to her chest and she felt something odd, only realizing he was undoing her front clasp when the cups fell to the side and bared her to him. "Impressive," she praised.

He made a husky sound of acknowledgement as he leaned down to capture a turgid nipple into his mouth. " _Oh,"_ she gasped, her back arching into him as his tongue playfully ran back and forth over her, his other hand coming up to cup and play with her other breast. She raised her legs up his sides and squirmed underneath him, desperate to relieve some of the pulsating tension in her groin.

He'd just spend a moment lapping at her other nipple when her hips' undulations became too much for him. He lifted his head from her chest and let his head fall back in ecstacy, "God, Scully."

She felt sweat beading at her hairline and they weren't even undressed yet. He just had the ability to work her up so fast. "Mulder," she panted, "I want to feel you."

Wanting to be away from her for as short of time as possible, he backed up and undid his belt buckle - one of her favorite things in the world to watch. He knew this and he just looked down at her lustfully as he popped the button of his pants and lowered the zipper. "See something ya like?" he teased.

She hooked her fingers under her pants and quickly slid them down her legs. "I see a whole lot of something I like," she smiled, staring at the prominent tent in his boxers.

He bit his lip as he discarded the rest of his clothing and was immediately back on top of her, the tip of his leaking cock rubbing sensuously against her inner thigh. "I love you," he murmured, nuzzling and kissing the side of her face while grabbing himself.

"I love you too," she whispered, spreading her legs wider and angling her hips upward to rub herself against him.

His face grimaced in pleasure and he ran his tip up and down her slit, stopping to rub his head back and forth quickly over her clit. Her whole body twitched and spasmed as he did this, the tendons in her groin tensing with anticipation. "Stop teasing me," she demanded breathily with a smile.

He grinned, but the grin quickly turned into his mouth dropping open as he slid inside her with ease. They'd been a little rough last night so he stilled inside her for a moment and let her adjust. "Does this feel okay?" he asked, clearly having a hard time resisting his desire to move.

"You feel amazing," she reassured. "But I need you to move or I might die."

He grinned and slowly slid out of her, almost slipping out completely, before thrusting quickly back in. He continued this a few times, torturing them both until he started a steady, consistent pace.

She loved seeing this side of Mulder. It was unbelievably sexy seeing him completely give way to absolute pleasure. His brow furrowed in concentration as he watched her reactions and it turned her on seeing how hard it was to resist the urge to let his eyes clamp shut.

He backed out of her completely, her hips thrusting forward in an attempt to get him back, and he slid off the bed and stood at the edge. Mulder, his eyes roaming her body greedily, grabbed the hook of her knees and drug her to the edge of the bed so they were aligned. He grabbed himself again and slid back in, angling his hips so that each thrust hit her g-spot.

" _Yes-"_ she drew out between clenched teeth, lifting her hands to play idly with her breasts, tweaking and rolling her still-wet nipples with her fingers.

"Oh my god," Mulder whispered, picking up the face in response to the visual stimulation.

One of her favorite things about Mulder was his insistence that she needed to come before he'd allow himself to. He never said that and she never asked, but it was an obvious truth that was proven hundreds of times over and over again. She'd even learned to tell when he was getting close, but wanted her to finish first because he changed his tactic in desperation.

Usually he tried to get her off through penetration with his pubic bone rubbing against her clit, but when he was more worked up and on the brink like he was now, he'd lift his fingers to his mouth, lick them, and plant them on the apex of her thighs, finding her clit and rubbing mercilessly.

Her back arched at the sensation and she felt every cell in her body ignite. " _Please,_ " she whimpered, her legs shaking in anticipation. She felt her body inevitably reaching that peak, pleasure building on pleasure.

" _Fuck,"_ he groaned, rotating his hips as his fingers kept a steady pressure, circling her clit repeatedly until-

"Mulder, I'm gonna-," then her entire body shook as pleasure shot through her. As cliche as it was, she felt like a flower blooming beneath his touch. She felt electricity through her entire body from her toes to her scalp as she rocked against him frantically, trying to ride out her orgasm as long as possible.

Mulder's head was thrown back, basking in his own release as he watched her unravel. He moaned in a sensual baritone as he thrust into her a few final times, waiting for her shaking to subside so he could climb over her and drag her fully back onto the bed with him, nuzzling against her in post-coital bliss.

She laid there for a few minutes, trying to catch her breath as her body resumed normal function. He curved his body around hers, resting his head on her breast and wrapping his arms and legs around her in a sideways hug. It was another thing they both knew and never had to talk about but; Mulder loved being the little spoon, and she was more than happy to oblige. She lifted her hand and set it on his head, smoothing his damp strands of hair playfully and placing small kisses on the crown of his head.

She could feel him thinking and decided to let him follow his train of thought without interruption. She just laid there patiently for him to speak as he focused on something intently, his breath tickling the dewy skin of her chest.

After a few minutes, he spoke up. "How long do you think it would have taken if we hadn't met that couple?"

She lifted her head up to look at his face which he'd just lifted up to look at her, pretty sure she knew what he meant but wanting to clarify. "The friends with benefits?"

"Yeah," he replied, adding, "How do you think it might have happened without that prompting?"

"I'm not sure, what do you think?" she asked, figuring he'd given more thought to it.

He fell back onto her breast, idly wrapping his arm around her bare middle and stroking her skin lightly with his thumb. "I don't know. You'd have to tell me."

"What do you-"

"Scully," he chastised, smiling against her. "Do you know how intimidating you are?"

She let out a guttural laugh at his words and it made his head shake from the movement of her chest. "No I'm not!"

"Dr. Dana Katherine Scully: FBI Special Agent and Medical Doctor with wit of steel, endless brilliance, and stunning beauty." He'd said it all to her before, but the sincerity in which he said these sentiments made her smile like a schoolgirl. "Some days I think I'm the luckiest man in the world for even being able to exist at the same time as you, let alone be able to know you like this." As he said this, his arms tightened around her middle as if still in disbelief she was here with him. It warmed her heart and she raised a hand to meet his, holding it lovingly.

"But you started everything, so your answer doesn't make sense," she contested.

"Did not."

"Yes you did! You were the one that started the friends with benefits arrangement," she reminded.

"No, you were the one who said-"

"You implied-," she interrupted.

"Only after you gave signals that you were interested."

"You instigated the first sexual encounter," she replied with confidence, remembering clearly how he had leaned in towards her and ravished her lips with his own in his apartment that night.

"Only after you told me, and I quote, _I like a man who takes what he needs."_ He responded smugly. "Oh, and you said _I love you_ first."

Scully sat there for a moment, trying to think of any evidence to the contrary. There was no way she was the instigator. The thought of one wrong move on her part resulting in her just continuing to yearn for him without any resolution made her unnecessarily anxious for this hypothetical version of her. "You never would have tried to push us further?"

"I did that one time," he prompted, alluding to the near-kiss in his hallway. When they were cock-blocked by a bee.

"Yeah, but that was in a moment of desperation," she countered, running her hand through his hair so he knew she wasn't trying to start a fight with the observation.

He was silent for a moment before kissing her breast, nuzzling his face against her. "I was scared," he whispered honestly.

She understood. She was too. But - this was inevitable. She had no doubts that whether it took seven years or seventy that it would have come out eventually. "I thought about telling you how I felt a few times," she confessed.

This seemed to really pique his interest as he looked up at her. "Really?" he asked.

"Mhm," she hummed.

"When?"

"All the times it seemed like death was around the corner. So, a lot," she laughed, glad when he did too. "But I didn't know what would be worse, telling you and then one of us dying or never telling you at all."

She could feel him thinking and let him ruminate on that. She was glad they were being successful at straddling the line between severity and lightheartedness. "So," he started, his tone brightening a bit and she could tell he didn't want to think about either of their deaths. "How would you have done it, Scully?"

She pondered for a moment. "It would have been slow. Maybe just responding to your flirting more. I think that would have pleasantly surprised you-"

"It always does," he smiled, rolling onto his back and pulling her with him, so that one leg was draped over him as her breasts pressed against his side and her head rested on his shoulder.

"Then after awhile I think I would have requested that we work on this or that at your apartment. I think then maybe it would just happen more frequently until it became a routine and as it went on less and less work would be involved until it became like we were having dates without calling them dates."

He laughed in amusement before saying, "It pains me how accurate it is you'd have to use work in an effort to seduce me."

She smiled, smelling his scent like he was a human comfort blanket. "I don't know how I would have tried to push it further," she exhaled.

"You would have, though. You're strong like that," he stated confidently.

She smiled. Even though he wasn't conventional, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Fox Mulder loved her in ways she didn't even know existed.

When she was a little girl, she often got lost in daydreams of Prince Charming coming and sweeping her away. While she spent a fair amount of time playing scientist and reading books, she couldn't help but succumb to the romanticism of falling in love. She imagined he would be tall and handsome, that he'd listen to her, that he'd respect her, that he'd love her unconditionally. As she grew up the fantasy morphed, but those basic principles remained the same. Sometimes he imagined she'd run into her on the street, other times she imagined he'd just see her and be so captivated that he'd have to say something to her.

But what she didn't know was that Prince Charming was busy working in the basement of the J. Edgar Hoover building, and she was the one who'd have to find him. Instead of a horse and chariot taking her to a wonderland, it was a series of old rental cars dragging her around the United States looking for aliens. And she wouldn't have had it any other way.

What's in a partner? Two syllables, seven letters. Two people, seven years.

A Constant, touchstone.

Mulder and Scully.

Partners for life in every sense of the word.


End file.
